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PREFACE. 

FROM time immemorial it has been the custom to give 
every youngster a name, and so the author has chris- 
tened this unpretentious vokune " The Watch Factories of 
America." This little work is not intended to be elaborate 
or even perfect, nor does it present anything nevs^ or start- 
ling in the way of discovery, but is simply a collection of 
facts, recorded in presentable shape, in connection with 
the rise and development of one of the most marvelous 
growths of mechanical genius of this wonder-working 
nineteenth century. 

Within the memory of yet active workers at the trade, 
this branch of industry has grown from the humble factory 
of Luther Goddard,with its weekly product of two watches, 
to the mammoth Waltham and Elgin factories, with their 
daily output of as many thousands, of the finest productions 
of mechanical pi^ecision as the world has ever seen. Surely 
such a developement deserves a history, and whether or 
not I have succeeded in giving it, I leave you, gentle 
reader, to decide. One thing is certain, that from the 
" Nuremburg Egg," to the last novelty in watch making, 
whatever that may be, the past fifty years of the nineteenth 
century, in our own favored land, has more than surpassed 
the endeavors of the intervening centuries, with all the 
glorious achievements of the fine workers of England, 
France and Switzerland ; they originated, but the Yankee 
developed and multiplied, and has " waxed exceedingly 
great" in the art of modern horology. 

The Author. 



THE 



WATCH FACTORIES 



OF AMERICA 



PAST AND PRESENT 



A COMPLETE HISTORY OF WATCHMAKING IN AMERICA, FROM 
1S09 TO 18SS INCLUSIVE, WITH SKETCHES OF THE 
LIVES OF CELEBRATED AMERICAN WATCH- 
MAKERS AND ORGANIZERS. 



BY HENRY G. ABBOTT 



a 



ILLUSTRATED WITH 50 ENGRAVINGS 



CHICAGO: 
Geo. K. Hazlitt & Co., Publishers, 341-3S1 Dearborn Street, 

1S88. 




COPYKIGHT, iSSS, 



GEO. K. HAZLITT & CO. 






■l<^s^S-\ 




AARON L. DENNISON. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapteb. Page. 

I. Aaron L. Dennison . . - . . g 

II. Luther Goddard. Pitkin Bros. The 
American Horologe Company. The War- 
ren Mfg. Company. N. B. Sherwood. The 
American Waltham Watch Company - 15 

III. The Nashua Watch Company - - 33 

IV. Edward Howard. E. Howard Watch and 

Clock Company .... - 37 

V. The Newark Watch Company. The Cor- 
nell Watch Company . - . - 45 
VI. The United States Watch Company of 

N. J. The Marion Watch Company - 51 

VII. The Elgin National Watch Company - 55 

VIII. J. C. Adams 67 

IX. The Tremont and Melrose Watch Com- 
panies 69 

X. The Mozart Watch Company of Provi- 
dence. The New York Watch Company 71 
XI. The Mozart Watch Company of Ann 
Arbor. The Rock Island Watch Com- 
pany. The Freeport Watch Company - 75 
XII. The Illinois Watch Company - - 79 

XIII. The Rockford Watch Company - - . S3 

XIV. The Adams & Perry Watch Mfg. Com- 

pany. The Lancaster Watch Company. 
The Keystone Watch Company - - 85 

XV. The Fitchburg Watch Company - - 91 

XVI. The Auburndale Watch Company - - 93 



Chapter. 
XVII. The Hampden Watch Company 

XVIII. The Waterbury Watch Company - 

XIX. Independent Watch Company. Fredonia 
Watch Company . . - - . 

XX. The Bowman Watch 

XXI. Columbus Watch Company . . . . 

XXII. Aurora Watch Company .... 

XXIII. Trenton Watch Company - . - 

XXIV. Charles S. Moseley. P. S. Bartlett 

XXV. Cheshire Watch Company. Manhattan 

Watch Company 

XXVI. The Self Winding Watch. The United 

States Watch Company of Waltham 

XXVII, The Peoria Watch Company. The N. Y. 

Standard, Seth Thomas and Wichita 

Companies - 



Page_ 
97 

lOI 

109 
"3 
"5 
119 
123 
127 

133 

137 

141 



THE 

WATCH FACTORIES 

OF AMERICA. 



THE term watchmaker, in America, does not necessarily- 
imply one who manufactures ^vatches, but is more 
generally applied to those who make a business of repair- 
ing and cleaning time pieces. In days gone by, a watch- 
maker was a mechanic of no mean order, capable of making 
and fitting any part of a watch, no matter what make the 
watch might have been or how complicated its construction, 
which through negligence on the part of the owner became 
deranged or broken. To-day, a watchmaker need be 
possessed of only ordinary mechanical skill and intelligence 
in order to repair any watch of American manufacture, and 
all this change has come about by the manufactru'ers of the 
various movements working on the interchangeable system, 
first applied to watchmaking in America by Mr. Aaron L. . 
Dennison in 1850. 

AARON L. DENNISON. 

Aaron L. Dennison was the son of a shoemaker of Free- 
port, Me. He was born in the year 1812, and in 1822 we 
find him carrying a mason's hod in the village of Topsham. 
In 1825 we find him earning his own living, though but 
thirteen years of age, by sawing wood in the town of Bruns- 
wick, his father having removed to the latter place in 1824. 
Two years later he might have been found working at his 



lO THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

father's trade. At eighteen years of age he began to grow 
tired of cobbling. He was of a mechanical turn of mind 
and was much interested in watchmaking . and kindred 
mechanical work, and his father recognizing this fact 
apprenticed him to James Carey, a watchmaker of Bruns- 
wick, in 1830. In 1833 he left Brunswick, to perfect him- 
self as a journeyman watchmaker, entering the employ of 
Cvu'rier & Trot, of Boston. Shortly after, he went into 
business for himself, but soon gave it up to enter the employ 
oi Messrs. Jones, Low & Ball. While at work here he 
received the benefit of the advice of Mr. Tubal Hone, then 
•considered one of the finest watchmakers in the country; 
and it was here in the year 1835 ^^^^^ ^^'- Dennison dis- 
•covered the inaccuracies of workmanship and construction 
-which existed in even the best of hand-made v^atches. In 
a letter written at that time he said: " Within a year I 
have examined watches made by a man whose reputation at 
"this moment is far beyond that of any other w^atchmaker in 
London, and have found in them such workmanship as I 
-should blush to have it supposed had passed from under my 
hands in our lower grade of work. Of course I. do not 
mean to say that there is not work in these watches of the 
highest grade possible to carry the finisher's art, but errors 
■do creep in and are allowed to pass the hands of competent 
■examiners, and it needs but slight acquaintance with our ar; 
to discover that the lower grade of foreign watches are" 
hardly as mechanically correct in their construction as a 
common wheelbarrow. " 

From Boston he went to New York city, but in 1839 we 
again find him in Boston, in business for himself. Here he 
did repairing for the trade and carried a line of tools and 
materials. A few yeai's later we find him carrying a full 
line of watches and jewelry and doing a thriving business. 
About this time he invented the " Dennison Standard 



PAST AND PRESENT. II 

"Gauge, " and began to turn his thoughts upon the manu- 
facture of watches on what is now known as the " Inter- 
changeable System. " 

We will hei-e use Mr. Dennison's own words : 

" The principal thinking up of the matter was done when 
I was in business at the corner of Bromfield and Washing- 
ton Streets, Boston; and many a night after I had done a 
good day's work at the store and a good evening's work at 
home, in repairing watches for personal friends, I used to 
stroll out upon the common and give my mind full play 
upon this project; and now, as far as I can recollect 
what my plans then were as to system and methods to be 
employed, they were identical with those in existence at 
"the principal vv^atch factories at the present time." * 

Mr. Dennison predicted, in the year 1S46, that within 
twenty years the manufacture of watches would be reduced 
to as much system and perfection and with the same expe- 
dition that fire-arms were then made in the Springfield 
armory. He often visited this armory and took great inter- 
est in examining the various processes of finishing fire-arms. 

In 1849 a friend of Mr. Dennison, Mr. Edward Howard, 
a clock and scale maker of Boston, had a long talk with 
• him in regard to the manufacture of American locomo- 
ttives. Mr. Dennison did not agree v\^ith Mr. Howard in his 
idea of locomotive manufactui-e, but soon convinced him 
" that the manufacture of watches, in large quantities on 
the interchangeable plan, v^^ould prove a more profitable 
undertaking. Mr. Howard soon became as enthusiastic 
over the idea as Mr. Dennison and together they went in 
search of a capitalist who was willing to risk some money 
in the experiment. This gentleman was found in the per- 
son of Mr. Samuel Curtis, of Boston, who furnished 

*Dr. Leonard Waldo's address, delivered before the Society of Arts, London, 
May 19, 1SS6. 



12 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

$20,000 with which to try the experiment. Mr. Howard's 
partner, Mr. D. P. Davis, was also interested in the experi- 
ment. The projectors inet together at an early date to 
make arrangements in regard to the starting of the factory 
and buying the necessary material. We will again quote 
from Mr. Dennison's own words : 

" I suggested that the first money spent in the undertak- 
ing should be for a tour of observation in the watchmaking 
districts in England, with the view of ascertaining whether 
the trade of watchmaking was carried on there on the system 
represented to me by English workmen I had employed 
from time to time in repairing. Another object I had in 
view was to find out the source of supply for the necessary 
materials, such as enamel for dials, jewels, etc." 

Mr. Dennlson started for Europe and after thoroughly 
looking over the ground, writes : 

" I found that the matter had been correctly represented, 
but in carrying out their system one-half the truth had not 
been told. How that the party setting up as manufacturer 
of watches bought his Lancashire movements — a conglom- 
ei^ation of rough materials — and gave them out to A, B, C, 
and D to have them finished; and how A, B, C, and D, 
gave out the different jobs of pivoting certain wheels of the 
train to E, certain other parts to F, and the fusee cutting to 
G. Dial-making, jeweling, gilding, motioning, etc., to 
others, down almost the entire length of the alphabet; and 
how that, taking these various pieces of work to outside 
workpeople — who, if sober enough to be at their places, 
were likely to be engaged on some one's work who had 
been ahead of them, and how, under such circumstances, he 
would take the occasion to drop into a ' pub ' to drink and 
gossip, and, perhaps, luifit himself for work the remainder 
of the day. Finding things in this condition as a matter of 
course, my theory of Americans not finding any difficulty 



PAST AND PRESENT. I3 

in competing withtheEnglish, especially if the interchange- 
able system and manufacturing in large quantities was 
adopted, may be accepted as reasonable." 

While Mr. Dennison was looking over the ground in 
Europe, Mr. Howai'd was engaged in erecting a factory, 
and on the return of Mr, Dennison, work was immedi- 
ately commenced. It is not our object to follow the history 
of this factory just here, as it will be taken up later on, but 
simply to give a short sketch of Mr. Dennison's career. 
Suffice it to say, therefore, that the factory was built, the 
tools manufactured and everj^thing started in 1851, and the 
first watches were placed upon the market in 1853. The 
company was not a financial success and they finally made 
an assignment in 1857. Mr. Dennison was then employed 
by his successors as superintendent, filling that position until 
December, 1861. 

In 1S64, Mr. Dennison interested Mr. A. O. Bigelow, of 
Boston, in a new factory, of which we will speak in due 
time. Mr. Dennison's past experience had taught him that 
to start a watch factory the projectors must be bountifully 
supplied with money, and must be prepared to sink a great 
deal before realizing a single dollar. Owing to the high price 
of labor at this time and the necessities above described, 
Mr. Dennison reasoned that it would be better to have 
certain portions of the movements made in Switzerland, 
imported to the United States, and setup with the remain- 
ing portions which were to be made in America. 

Accordingly, Mr. Dennison went to Switzerland, and 
after thoroughly looking over the ground decided that 
Zurich was the best location. He here gathered the neces- 
sary material together, set up the trains and sent them to 
Boston. Everything went along swimmingly until 1866, 
when the directors of the company decided to build a new 
factory at Melrose, Mass., and make the entire watch there. 



14 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

This new idea, however, Mr. Dennison did not approve of, as^ 
the company was doing very well as it was, and the change 
would involve more or less risk. Accoi'dingly, in a short 
time after, he withdrew from the company. Mr. Dennison 
remained in Sw^itzerland until 1870, having taken a contract 
to furnish certain material for the Melrose Company. The 
company having failed, Mr. Dennison returned to America 
and tried to interest capital in reviving it. Failing in this^ 
however, he soon went to England, where he interested 
capitalists, and the plant w^as purchased and a factory opened. 
Mr. Dennison is in no w^ay connected with this company,, 
which is still running under the name of the " English 
Watch Company," but is engaged in watch case manufactur- 
ing in Birmingham, where it is said he is doing a thriving, 
business. 



CHAPTER II. 

IT would be a very hard thing to determine just who the 
first manufacturer of watches in America was, since in 
the beginning- of the nineteenth century many of the trade 
manufactured movements in small quantities, either to order 
or for the purpose of carrying in stock until such time as a 
purchaser might turn up. These watches were of necessity 
hand- made, and the manufacturers depended considerably 
upon Europe for supplies, such as hands, springs, jewels, 
balances, etc. 

In 1S09, Luther Goddard, of Shrewsbury, Mass., com- 
menced to manufacture watches of the verge pattern, in 
somewhat larger quantities than had been attempted before. 
Mr, Goddard could not compete with the cheap foreign 
watches, however, and retired from the business in 1817^ 
having manufactured about 500 w^atches. This was the 
greatest number of watches ever made by any one manu- 
facturer in America up to this time. 

Following closely in the wake of Mr. Goddard, in 1S12,, 
an establishment for the manufacture of watches was started 
in Worcester, Mass. The establishment w^as small, and 
was suspended shortly after for want of ready funds. In 
183S the first machine-made watch ever made in America 
was placed upon the market. It was known as the Pitkin 
watch, and was manufactured by two brothers, James and 
Henry Pitkin, at Hartford, Conn. These movements were 
three-quarter plate, slow train and about the diameter of the 
modern i6-size. The machinery used in their manufacture 

15 



.l6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

was very crude, and was all made by the Pitkin Bros. 
The Pitkin watch, however, fared the same fate as its pre- 
decessors. The cost of manufactui-e was too great to com- 
pete with those made by the Swiss, and shortly after moving 
the factory to New York, which they did in 1841, the idea 
•was abandoned. The total product of the Pitkins was 
about 800 movements. 

Following Pitkin Bros., came several other small manu- 
facturers, but nothing impoi'tant in this line was attempted 
until the year 1849, when the nucleus of what is now 
known as the American Waltham Watch Company was 
■established. 

A person standing on Crescent street, Waltham, and gaz- 
ing upon the mamriioth structvu'e occupied by the Ameri- 
can Waltham Watch Company as a factory, a building 
whose frontage occvipies nearly yoo feet, within whose walls 
2,800 workmen are daily employed, and from which 7,500 
time-keepers are turned out weekly, can scarcely realize that 
tlie company has seen failure and disaster staring them in 
the face on more than one occasion ; but such is a fact. The 
road to success is not always strewn with roses, and although 
the company is now one of the largest of its kind in the 
world, yet it has struggled with adversity, and has seen the 
time when, w^e might say, the toss of a penny would have 
decided whether they would continue, or give up in despair. 

In the fall of the year, 1849, Mr. Dennison commenced 
to build machinery for the manufacture of watches on the 
interchangeable system, having -associated himself with 
Howard & Davis, as described in the pi'evious chapter. A 
small room was divided off in Howard & Davis' factory, and 
there Mr. Dennison commenced work on his machines. In 
1850 a small factory -was built opposite Howard & Davis' 
shop, and some English and Swiss watchmakers put to 
work. Mr. Dennison's machinery was not a success, how- 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



17 



ever, and one of Howard & Davis' men v\ras detailed to help 
Mr. Dennison, and after numerous attempts, they finally 
succeeded in getting together a few tools and machines of 
anything but perfect construction. 

In the summer of 1S50, Mr. Dennison completed the 
(model of the first watch, which corresponded with the full 
plate i8-size of to-day. This watch was made to run eight 
days, but proved to be a failure, and its place was filled by 
a one-day watch. At this time the firm was known as "The 
American Horologe Company," and consisted of A. L 
Dennison, E. Howard, D. P. Davis and Sam'l Curtis. Mr. 
Curtis took no active part in the management of the con- 
cern, but fvirnished most of the money with which the 
buildings and machinery were bviilt. After a lapse of about 
one year the name of the company was changed to " The 
Warren Manufacturing Company," and the first hundred 
w^atches bore that name. The first watches were actually 
placed upon the market in 1S53. The name " Samuel 
Curtis " was substituted for " Warren " on the next six or 
seven hundred watches, the reason being that the name, 
•" The Warren Manufacturing Company," was abandoned as 
being unfitting, and the name, " Boston Watch Company " 
•was used instead. These watches were i8-size, full plate, 
slow train and were sold at $40. 

In 1853 Mr. Dennison became dissatisfied with the loca- 
tion of the factory, as it was very dusty in summer and 
proper accomodations for the dwellings of the employes 
could not be obtained. He visited Waltham and looked 
over the land at Stony Brook, trying to purchase from Mr. 
Sibley a tract of land, which is now occupied in part by N. 
L. Sibley's machine shop, a spot which attracted the atten- 
tion of Mr. Dennison by its romantic scenery and its location, 
being out of the regular line of travel. Failing to make 
terms with Mr. Sibley, he called upon a friend, Mr. S. P. 



l8 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

Emerson, who at that time was in the machine shop of the 
Boston Manufacturing Company, and to whom he confided 
the object of his visit. Mr. Emerson suggested the Bemis 
farm as being in the market and a suitable site. The land 
was examined and found desirable, and Mr. Emerson sub- 
sequently introduced Mr. Dennison to prominent citizens of 
Waltham, who became interested and took hold of the 
matter, until on March 24, 1854, " The Waltham Improve- 
ment Company " was incorporated by special act of the 
legislature, with a capital stock of $100,000, " The Boston 
Watch Company" owning thirty shares of $100 each. 
The building for the watch factory was staited at once, and 
was ready for occupancy October 5, 1S54. At this time the 
company was making about five watches per day, and em- 
ployed about ninety hands. 

After removing to Waltham, the movements were 
engraved " Dennison, Howard and Davis." About this 
time Mr. Howard made the acquaintance of Mr. N. B. 
Sherwood, who then resided in New York City, and placed 
him in charge of the jeweling department. We will here 
deviate from the subject long enough to give a short sketch 
of the life of Mr. Sherwood, who was one of the most 
remarkable and able mechanics ever connected with a watch 
factoi-y. 

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SHERWOOD. 

Mr. Sherwood was born in 1823, was educated in Albany 
Academy, under Prof. Beck, and graduated with high 
honors. From a boy he w^as passionately fond of mathe- 
matics, astronomy and chemistry, and was a born mechani- 
cal genius. After graduating from Albany Academy he 
decided to practice medicine, and no young man ever gave 
more brilliant promise of becoming eminent in that profes- 
sion. For some reason he suddenly took a dislike to the 



PAST AND PRESENT. I^ 

calling, and through the influence of a friend, who was a 
dentist, he engaged in that profession for a time, and was 
one of the first to realize that the old crucibles thrown away 
by dentists contained a great deal of gold. At that time all 
plates were made of gold or silver. He was anxious to see 
more of the world, so he traveled westwaixl. He was ac- 
companied by his dentist friend, and when their money 
gave out they would stop in some town a few weeks and 
would soon have all the work they could do, as Mr. Sher- 
wood was a fine talker and had no trouble in securing 
patronage. When work slacked up they would resume 
their travels, and they finally landed in Chicago. They 
soon ran short of money and not being able to secvu'e any 
dental work, Mr. Sherwood entered the office of an engin- 
-eer and soon secured a position as draughtsman, and shortljr 
after was put in charge of a surveying corps and made a 
survey for a railroad. His friend was one of the chain 
bearers. He soon had money enough to I'esume his travels, 
when he and his friend pushed on southward. 

Finally their money again gave out and Mr. Sherwood 
secured a position as draughtsman in the office of a machine 
shop, getting a position for his friend in the shop. He 
finally drifted to Pennsylvania, where he opened a drug 
store. While engaged in the drug business he took up the 
study of watchmaking. About this time he married Miss 
Mary Van Valkenburg. His drug store venture not prov- 
ing a success, he gave it up and went to Jefferson, a small 
village in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he opened a. 
watchmaker's shop, also taking a class in the higher mathe- 
matics in the school there. He made a good support for 
his family but could lay up no money, so in the spring of 
1853, at the solicitation of some of his friends, he opened a 
machine shop. He made his own drawings, and when his- 
blacksinith would get on a spree he would do his owrt 



:20 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

forging. Jefferson proved to be too small a place for a 
watchmaker or machine shop, so about 1855 he went to 
New York, where he engaged as a traveling salesman for 
a notion house, and on one of his home visits made the 
acquaintance of Mr. Willson, a son-in-law of Mr. Curtis, 
and by him was invited to visit Waltham and the watch 
factory, with the hope that he could be induced to remain 
there. Seeing the opening for the exercise of his talents in 
mechanics, this was no difficult matter, and on the other 
hand Mr. Howard saw in him the material his firm needed, 

A gentleman well acquainted with Mr. Sherwood, 
recently said: "He was a wonderful man; a thorough 
mechanic, gifted with the highly retentive memory and per- 
ceptive powers that seemed almost intuitive. He had the 
faculty of being able to grasp any subject of mechanics 
which was brought to his notice, and his fertile brain 
and faculty for imparting information, made him an interest- 
ing companion and valuable -writer and instructor. Unlike 
other mechanics and inventors, he seemed to grasp the 
whole idea and work out his problem almost instantaneous." 

His connection with the Waltham factory gave him 
: abundant opportunity to bring his inventive genius into 
play in originating new tools to do work formerly done by 
hand. He not only conceived new ideas, but being an 
excellent draughtsman, he placed them on paper, and then 
•entering the machine shop, he, with his own hands, made 
and put them together. 

Under his charge the jeweling department soon made a 
complete revolution. New systems and methods of doing 
work were introduced, new machines made and the amount 
•of work turned out was doubled. Many of the tools used 
to-day in our watch factories w^ere invented and first built 
by Mr. Sherwood. A list and description of the various 
tools invented by this remarkable man would fill a good 




N. B. SHERWOOD. 



PAST AND PRESENT. 23 

-sized volume, and we will confine our remarks to but a few 
of them. He invented what is known as the " Counter- 
sinker or screw head tool," for jewel screws; " The End- 
shake Tools;" The Opener " and " The Truing-up Tools." 
■" The End-shake Tools," were truly wonderful machines, 
being self-measuring and so constructed that no matter to 
what depth the shoulder was cut in the upper plates, by 
putting the plate against one end of one of the tools, and 
the jewel with its setting in a spring chuck the tool would 
cut a shoulder on the setting that would bring the 
face of each and every jewel exactly flush with the 
under side of the plate when the setting was put in. The 
jewels were then reversed and put into another chuck and 
the top of the setting cut down by this magic tool until it 
"would come exactly flush with the top of the plate, or 
rather leave just enough projecting above to allow for 
polishing. After the jewel settings were " stripped " or 
polished, they were put into the plates where they belonged 
never to be removed again. As the plate was already 
gilded, next the holes for the scre\vs were tapped out and 
the holes bored for each screw-head on the screw-head tool, 
that would leave the head of the screw exactly flush with 
the top of the plate and not raise any burr. The end-shake 
tool was certainly the perfection of self-measuring tools. 
By it the shoulder was cut on the setting of the lower holes, 
'(the holes in the plate being first bored out with a shoulder), 
so as to give each pinion and staff the exact amount of end- 
shake required. With these tools one man could do nicer 
work and more of it than any five men could do in the 
ordinary way. 

The so-called " Opener " was another ingenious tool. Mr. 
Shei"wood found that it was impossible to open a jewel hole 
"by hand so that the hole would be absolutely round, and 
:accordingly he produced a tool which would do the work 



24 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

not only perfectly but rapidly. He never patented any of 
his inventions, for he never took a pecuniary view of the 
value of them. His whole purpose and life was devoted to 
perfecting the article or tool he had in hand, and when that 
was accomplished, he was ready for something else. Many 
of his inventions can be found in daily use in the watch fac- 
tories of the United States to-day. Some of the minor 
details of these machines have been improved on, but in 
many cases no improvements have been made in the 
machines, as orginally built by him, as far back as iS6o. 

Mr. Sherwood left the employ of Mr. Howard in the fall 
of 185S, to go into business with Mr. James Queen, in New 
York City. The death of his wife, which occured in the 
spring of 1S59, played sad havoc with him. She left him 
with two children, both girls. The youngest child died 
when an infant and the eldest was cared for by the 
mother's relatives. She married Mr. David Botsford, of 
Adrian, Mich., and is now living in Allen, Mich. Shortly 
after the death of his wife, Mr. Sherwood became restless 
and dissatisfied. In the summer of 1859 he dissolved part- 
nership with Mr. Queen and went to Cleveland, Ohio, 
where he entered the employ of Mr. Crittenden. In the 
fall of 1859, he left Cleveland and returned to New York, 
He then went to Perth Amboy, N. J., where he started a 
small shop and did fairly well. He was very desirous of 
enlisting in the civil war, but his poor health prevented him 
doing so. 

In 1864, Mr. Sherwood interested capitalists and organized 
the " Newark Watch Company." A misunderstanding 
occurred, however, in a few months and Mr. Sherwood 
retired. He died of consumption in New York City, in 
October, 1872, in his 40th year. He was of a generous nature, 
always ready to help the poor, and he would deny himself 
a meal or a coat any day of his life, to feed and clothe a men- 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



25 




THE GODDARD WATCH. 



dicant. In his prosperous days he always carried a pocket- 
full of pennies which he would distribute among the street- 
arabs whom he might meet. Mr.Sherwood was an able writer 
and his articles, which appeared in The American Horo- 

logical yournal^ were read 
with great interest by the 
trade. 

Mr. Sherwood was a man 
who possessed more general 
information than falls to the 
lot of most men. He was 
up on all scientific subjects, 
and kept up with the cur- 
rent literature of the day. 
Anything pertaining to mathematics had a charm for him; 
he delighted in difficult algebraic problems, was a rapid 
reader, and could read, and take in ten pages to any ordi- 
nary person's one. He never forgot what he read or heard. 
He could read a description of a city that he had never 
seen, and long afterwards 
give a detailed account of 
the streets, homes and noted 
people. 

We will now revert back 
to our original subject, the 
American Watch Com- 
pany, w^hich we left to give 
the foregoing sketch of 
Mr. Sherwood. 

The fall of 1S56 found 
the watch company in des- 
perate circumstances. All 
the ready money of the company had been expended, and 
the sales of watches were very slow. Matters went from 




THE PITKIN WATCH. 



26 



WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



bad to worse, until the spring of 1S57, when the company 
made an assignment. The assignee offered the property 
for sale, and it "was bid in by Mr. Royal E. Robbins for 
$56,500, for himself and the firm of Tracy & Baker, of 
Philadelphia, who were creditors of the defunct company, 
having furnished them with cases. The property con- 
sisted of the real estate, factory, and numerous other build- 
ings, the machinery, steam engine, shafting, etc., together 
with the material unmanufactured and in process of manu- 
facture. 




THE WALTHAM FACTORY IN 1S57. 

The new firm was known as Tracy, Baker & Co., but 
Mr. Baker having a case business to look after, and having 
had a good offer made him by Mr. Robbins, decided to sell 
out his interest. Mr. Robbins then associated himself with 
Mr. James Appleton, and the firm was known as Appleton, 
Tracy & Co. The winter of 1857 pi'oved a rough one for 
the new company. Money was scarce and times hard, and 
in the spiing following Mr. Robbins about made up his 
mind to remove the factory nearer to New York, which 
was then the market for his goods. He finally made the 
Improvement Company a proposition to consolidate, which 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



27 



was accepted, the Watch Company being put in at $225,- 
000 and the Improvement Company at $75,000. The con- 
soHdation took place in the summer of 1858. Early in the 
year 1859 the name of the company was changed to the 
American Watch Company, with a capital stock of $300,- 
000, Mr. Robbins being elected treasurer and general busi- 
ness manager. 

John J. Lynch went to work for the Boston Watch Com- 
pany in May, 1 852-, and when the factory was removed to 




AMERICAN WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY'S FACTORY. 

Waltham in 1854 he was employed in the jeweling room. 
For thirty-one years and up to the time of his death, Sept. 
14, 1885, he was a trusted and valuable employe of the 
Waltham Company. He was a thorough mechanic and 
understood perfectly the system of machine watch making. 
He was born in New York City, Nov. 10, 1830, being at 
the time of his death in his fifty-fifth year. 

Alonzo Noble, the present foreman of the plate room, 
went to work for the company March 17, 1859. 



28 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

In the fall of the year 1S59 several of the best workmen 
in the Waltham factory were induced to join forces with a 
new factory just started in Nashua, N. H., which we will 
speak of in due time. 

Mr. Ambrose Webster, now of the American Watch 
Tool Co., Waltham, who was up to this time a workman 
in the machine shop, ^vas promoted to the position of 
mechanical superintendent, a position which he filled with 
great credit for many years. When he took charge of the 
machine shop it was as 
crude as could well be 
imagined. There was abso- 
lutely no system, no appre- 
ciation of the fact that the 
machine shop was the foun- 
dation of the manufactory. 
The proprietors did not 
seem to realize that to suc- 
cessfully lam a factory they 
must have some persons 
outside of watch repairers. 

A, 1 • 1 • "CRESCENT street" MOVEMENT. 

nythmg approachnig an 

automatic machine was frowned upon. In spite of this fact, 
Mr. Webster forced automatic machinery to the front and 
consti"ucted a machine to run half automatically against the 
positive orders of the management. He also reduced the 
unsystematic method of measurement, then emjDloyed in the 
factory, to a system, having found that there were nine 
classes of measuring units or gauges, which he changed for 
one. He designed, and George Hunter, (now superintend- 
ent of the Elgin Company's factory), built the first watch 
factory lathe with hard spindles and bearings, of the two- 
taper variety. He also made the first interchangeable 
standard for parts of lathes. The management was soon 




PAST AND PRESENT. . 3I 

forced to recognize that good mechanics were more essential 
as heads of departments than watchmakers, and that the 
head machinist was, or should be, the most essential man in 
the factory. He invented many machines now in use in the 
factory, conspicuous among them being an " Automatic 
Pinion Cutter" invented by him in 1S65. In 1872 he was 
made assistant superintendent, a position which he filled 
until his resignation, in 1876. 

In i860 the American Watch Company declared a divi- 
dend of five per cent., this being the first dividend declared 
by any watch factory in America. The first ladies' watch 
ever manufactured in America, was turned out by the com- 
pany in 1 86 1, and was known as the " P. S. Bartlett," and 
was a lo-size, key wind. In 1862 the American Watch 
Company purchased the plant of the Nashua Watch Com- 
pany, of Nashua, N. H., organized in 1859, and of which 
we will speak in another chapter. An addition was made 
to the American Watch Factory, and the machinery and 
help were transfered from Nashua to this building. From 
this time on, the prosperity of the company was assured. 
Dividends were declared yearly, the greatest of which, in 
1865, was 210 per cent. In this year, Mr. Robbins paid 
personally, an income tax on $337,000, the largest income in 
the city of Boston. The capital stock of the company was 
increased to $1,500,000 in 1872. In 1878 many additions 
and improvements were made in the factory. Wings were 
built on and departments enlarged, until in 1882 scarcely a 
vestige was left of the old factory. In 1877 the first 
chronographs were made; in 1883 the first split seconds. 
In 1S71 the firm erected in Bond St., New York, what was 
known as the Waltham Building, which contained the gen- 
eral offices of the company and their gold case works. This 
building was destroyed by fire in 1877, and the building at 
present occupied by the firm was built shortly after. This 



32 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

company received the highest award at the Centennial 
Exposition, 1876; Paris, 187S; Sidney, 1879; Melbourne, 
1880, and Inventions Exhibition in London, 1885. In 18S5 
the capital stock of the company was increased to $3,000,- 
000, and the name changed to the American Waltham 
Watch Company, under which title it still continues. 

In the fall of 18S5, Mechanical Superintendent Marsh 
invented an automatic lathe that is now in successful opera- 
tion, turning out 13,000 jewel settings a day. 

The various positions in the factory are at present 
occupied as follows: E. C. Fitch, superintendent; Mr. 
Shirley, assistant superintendent; Leonard Green, foreman 
plate room; Wm. H. Wi'enn, foreman machine shop; 
Martin Thomas, foreman train room ; Alfred Warren, fore- 
man of jeweling room; J. N. Hammond, foreman finishing 
and repairing departments; J. L. Keyser, foreman balance 
room; H. M. Haines, foreman i8-size finishing room; Joseph 
Bates, foreman adjusting room ; Thomas Gill, foreman 
three-quarter plate finishing room ; H. N. Fisher, foreman 
'scape room; Wm. Murra}-, foreman engraving room; J. 
T. Shepherd, foreman flat steel department; Charles Berlin, 
foreman nickel finishing; W. R. Wills, foreman jewel 
making; E. U. Hull, foreman dial painting; N. P. Mulloy, 
foreman hand making; Charles Moore, foreman dial mak- 
ing; Alonzo Noble, foreman plate room; Charles H. Mann, 
foreman screw making; Charles B. Hicks, foreman gilding 
room ; John Logan, main-springs, springing of balances and 
hairsprings; D. O'Hara, foreman case rooms; Charles J. 
Olney, superintendent of buildings; J. C. Sawin, carpenter. 



CHAPTER III. 

IN the last chapter we mentioned the fact that the Ameri- 
can Watch Company purchased the plant of the Nashua 
Watch Company in 1868, and to this company, which was 
short lived, we will now call your attention. 

Owing to the supposed success which Mr. Dennison had 
in the manufacture of watches by machiner}'-, the attention 
of jewelers and capitalists throughout the United States was 
called to the industry as a good investment. Mr. B. D. 
Bingham, of Nashua, N. H., a manufacturer of clocks and 
regulators in a small way, went to Waltham and entered 
the employ of the company, being desirous of learning the 
modus operandi of watch manufactui-ing. 

At this time N. P. Stratton was assistant superintendent 
of the Waltham company, and being of an ambitious turn of 
mind, was desirous of manufacturing a watch of better 
quality than that manufactured at Waltham. Messrs. Bing- 
ham and Stratton became fast friends and devoted much of 
their time while out of the factory in talking over the pros- 
pects of a watch factory, should one be organized in Nashua. 
Mr. Bingham felt certain that he could interest capitalists in 
the scheme, and accordingly with a view of doing so, and 
looking over the ground, Messrs. Stratton and Bingham 
visited Nashua in 1859. L. W. Noyes and others approved 
of the idea, furnished capital, and a company was formed 
that fall. The capital stock of the company ^vas $100,000, 
wdth L. W . Noyes as treasurer, V. C. Oilman, president, 
and T. W. Lovell, secretary. A suitable building was pur- 

33 



34 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

chased and altered over to meet the necessities of a watch 
factory. Mr. Stratton returned to Waltham and succeeded 
in employing several of the company's best men, among 
whom may be mentioned, C. V.Woerd, Ira G. Blake, Chas. 
S. Moseley, who was first or master mechanic, and Jas. H. 
Gerry. The loss of these gentlemen was a severe blow to 
the Waltham company, 

Mr. Stratton was a decidedly intellectual and skillful 
workman, having served his time under Henry and James 
Pitkin, in their Hartford factory, and was afterward in the 
employ of the Boston Watch Company. He entered the 
employ of the Waltham company in 1S52, and was sent to 
Coventry, Eng., by thiat institution, to learn the secret and 
art of etching and gilding movements; In 1857 he was 
made assistant superintendent of the Waltham factory, and 
in 1S58 invented and patented a main-spring barrel, and later 
a hair-spring stud, both of which were adopted by the 
Waltham company. Mr. Stratton was not only a thorough 
mechanic, but was also an excellent business man ; he opened 
the London office of the Waltham Watch Company in 
1874. 

James H. Gerry was also an able mechanic who thorougly 
understood escapement making. He afterward became 
superintendent of the United States Watch Company, and 
left that institution to become superintendent of the New 
York Watch Company. Later on he became superintend- 
ent of the Howard Watch and Clock Company, which 
position he filled until 1877. He was also inventer and 
patentee of a stem-wind attachment, which after modifica- 
tion, was adopted by the Howard company. He went into 
the clock manufacturing business in Elgin, and in 1885 
went to Brooklyn, N. Y., to act as superintendent of the 
National Clock Company. 

J. B. Gooding invented the capsule method of making 
balances still used by the factories. 



, PAST AND PRESENT. 35 

Chas. S. Moseley's name will always be mentioned in 
connection with American watch manufacture as the 
designer and inventor of some of the most delicate, compli- 
cated and ingenious machinery used in the construction of a 
watch. He was originally a machinist and master mechanic 
for the Boston Watch Company at Roxbury, and was 
early connected with the Waltham company. He went to 
Elgin in 1864 to act as superintendent, a position which he 
occupied until May, 1872. He also occupied at different 
times the position of machine shop and i8-size train I'oom 
foreman in the Waltham factory. He invented • a large 
portion of the machinery, tools and improvements now used 
by the Elgin company, among which may be mentioned 
the " compound chuck " and " improved hair-spring stud." 

Mr. C. V. Woerd invented the celebrated automatic 
pinion cutter in 1864. In 1869 he modeled the Waltham 
company's "Crescent Street" movement; in 1874 he 
invented the automatic screw machine, which attracted so 
much attention at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia 
and the Inventions Exhibition in London; he became super- 
intendent of the Waltham factory in 1876, which position 
he filled with credit until his resignation in 1883. 

Mr. Chas. S. Moseley, upon his arrival in Nashua, im- 
mediately proceeded to design and build the necessary 
machinery, and it was this machinery that enabled the com- 
pany to construct a watch of superior grade and merit, and 
w^hich was subsequently moved at the time of the sale to 
Waltham, and with it chiefly the watches bearing the trade 
marks of " American Watch Company " and "Appleton, 
Tracy & Co." were made. The movements were 16 and 
2o-size, key- wind, three-quarter plate, with exposed pallets 
and expansion balance. 

The company had about thirty employes, Mr. Stratton 
acting as superintendent, C. V. Woerd as foreman of train 



36 THE "WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

room, J. H. Gerry, as foreman of 'scape room, Chas. S. 
Moseley, as master machanic, Jas. Gooding, foreman of 
balance making, Jas. Fairchild, foreman gilding room, 
Ira G. Blake foreman plate room, Frank Robbins, foreman 
jeweling room, J. Mooi"ehouse, foreman dial room, and B. D. 
Bingham, master watchmaker. In 1863 the company 
running short of money, and the stockholders refusing to 
pay assessments, the company came to a stand still; it was 
finally decided that the best thing they could do was to sell 
the plant if a. customer could be found. Accordingly, Mr. 
Stratton went to Boston, and entered into negotiations 
with Mr. R. E. Robbins, which resulted in the Waltham 
concern purchasing the plant for. $53,000. Mr. C. W. 
Fogg Avas sent to Nashua to take charge of the factory until 
the fall of 1863, when the plant was moved to Waltham. 
The Nashua company up to the time of the sale had manu- 
factured about 1,000 movements, none of which had ever 
been put upon the market, not being completed; they were 
afterward completed and sold as Waltham movements. 



CHAPTER TV. 



MR. Edward Howard, the veteran watch and clock- 
maker of Boston, was born in Hingham, Mass., Oct. 
6, 1813. He is a practical man, having served a regular 
apprenticeship at the trade of clockmaking. At the age of 
twenty-nine he entered into partnership with D. P. Davis 
in the manufacture of clocks and regulators. Their business 

w^as a flourishing one, and 
they soon earned a reputa- 
tion for turning out clocks, 
second to none in the 
country. Mr. Howard 
was of a mechanical turn 
of mind, and a list of his 
inventions would fill a 
small volume Among 
his various inventions was 
that very important piece 
of mechanism, the "Swing 
Rest." The amount of 
labor saved by this machine and the quality of work done 
would seem to be enough to make Mr. Howard's name 
famous ainorig watchmakers. The greatest tribute that we 
can pay to Mr. Howard for his services to the horological 
world is to quote the words of a man who was fully capable 
of judging of the worth of his inventions from a practical 
standpoint, one who had worked under him for years and 
knew his sterling worth both as a fellow workman and a 

(37) 




THE HOWARD WATCH. 



38 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

master, one who has gone to his long rest — N. B. Sherwood. 
He said:* "The firmness, sagacity, and ahnost intuitive 
knowledge of mechanics that he possesses will not be fully 
understood for years; and yet to no one man are the United 
States so much indebted, in so far as the manufacture of 
"watches is concerned. We remember the dark days of its 
history, when the infant was unable to walk, when every- 
thing was to be created; even those who were to do the 
work had to be educated. But it was not so easy a task to 
navigate the watch factory through the stormy financial seas. 
In the mechanical parts, ho-wever, Mr. Howard ^vas tri- 
tunphant; not that he invented even a tithe of the processes 
and tools, but he had the sagacity to appreciate the value of 
any plan which might be submitted, and he had the firm- 
ness to carry out the idea, in the face of all the opposition 
of those who should have aided — indeed, of the absolute 
treachery of those in his employ. We do not assert that he 
was. the entirety of the watchmaking, but we will assert that 
he has done more than any other one man to bring the watch 
manufacture to its present high standing in this country." 

Immediately after the sale of the Waltham factory to Mr, 
Royal E. Robbins, in 1857, Mi\ Howard returned to Rox- 
bury and continued his clock business in connection with 
Mr. Davis; but he still had a longing after the watchmaking 
business, and soon opened up the old factory of the " Boston 
Watch Company," in Roxbury, with a small force. About 
one year after starting, Mr. Howard was able to place his 
product upon the market. They were 18-size, thi'ee- 
quarter plate, and "were the first quick-train movements ever 
made in this country. Even in those early days of Ameri- 
can watchmaking, the Howard watches were noted for 
their superior qualities as time-keepers; a reputation which 
followed them up to the present time. In order to increase 
the working capital of the company, a stock company was 

♦Watch and Chronometer Jeweling by N. B. Sherwood, written in Oct. 1S69. 




EDWARD HOWARD. 



PAST AND PRESENT. 4I 

organized in iS6i, with a capital of $i30,ooo, and was 
known as the " Howard Clock and Watch Company." 
The new company struggled against adversity until the 
spring of 1S63, when it was decided that the factory should 
be sold to the highest bidder and the indebtedness paid off. 

A buyer, however, \vas not readily found, and in the fol- 
lowing fall a new company was organized under the name 
of "The Howard Watch and Clock Company," with a capi- 
tal of $120,000. Mr. E. Howard was elected President of 
this company. Several improvements were made by the 
, new company. 

The entire product of the company was controlled by a 
syndicate of New York jobbers from 1863 until iSyo, 
when the company decided to establish their own agency 
in New York. 

The first nickel movement was placed on the market in 
1S71, and the year following the first ladies' watch made 
its appearance. In 1881, the E. Howard Watch and Clock 
Company succeeded the old company, the capital being 
jDlaced at $350,000. In 1882, Mr. Howard severed his con- 
nection with the Avatch company. He has retired from all 
active business and still resides in Boston. 

The various offices and positions in the factory are occu- 
pied as follows: Samuel Little, president; Albert Howard, 
general superintendent; Charles J. Hayden, treasvirer; C. 
V. Clerque, N. Y. agent; Harry Howard, Chicago agent; 
W. B. Learned, superintendent; T. H. Sloan, foreman 
finishing dep't.; A. Horton and Henry Allen, adjusting; 
J. R. Howard, motion; Wm. Walden and A. L. Mcin- 
tosh, escapement; E. F. Emery, stem winding; A. B. 
Winston, screw; Alfred Barton, gliding and damaskeening; 
Wm. Howarth, engraving; Henry Smidt, jewel making; 
Chas. Chase, jeweling; Josiah Moorhouse, dial; Orin R. 
Dickey, balance; H, E. Fay, pinion forwarding; L. B. 



PAST AND PRESENT. 43 

Ranlett, pinion finishing; Wm. Norton, plate; John Hol- 
den, flat steel; Wm. Bradford, spring making; C. E. 
Ward, springing; W. B. Hammond, inspecting. 

This company employs about one hundred hands in the 
watch department, and the output Is about 4^0 movements 
per month. 



CHAPTER V. 



IN 1S63, Mr. N. B. Sherwood went to New York to tr}^ 
and interest capital in the organization of a watch 
factory. Messrs. Louis S. Fellows & Schell became inter- 
ested in the idea and decided to try the experiment. A 
room was rented and Mr. Sherwood started building the 
machinery for the new enterprise. He had under him a 
corps of efficient -workmen, but after a few months some 

misunderstanding arose, and 
Mr. Arthur Wadsworth suc- 
ceeded him. 

Messrs. Fellows & Schell 
purchased a building in 
Newark, N. J., and altered 
it over to serve as a fac- 
tory. The machinery and 
tools were moved into it 
in 1S64, and the name, " The 
Newark Watch Company" 
THE NEWARK WATCH. ^vas adoptcd. The parties 

interested were Augustus, Robert and Edward Schell, 
and Lewis S. Fellows. The original model was made 
by Mr. Wadsworth, and was iS-size, and closely re- 
sembled an English watch then on the market. The 
first watches were finished in 1867. These watches were 
all key- wind; but later on a stem-wind movement was 
made, but was pronounced a failure. The movements 
were called, " Robert Fellows," " Edward Bevin," and 

(45) 




46 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

" Newark Watch Company." The stem-wind was named, 
" The Arthur Wadsworth," after the uiventor. The com- 
pany manufactured in all about 3,000 watches, but was 
gradually running behind. Accordingly, in 1869, negotia- 
tions were entered into with the Cornell Watch Company, 
then organizing at Chicago. 

Mr. Paul Cornell, after whom the new factory was 
named, was a wealthy real-estate dealer of Chicago, own- 
ing large tracts of land in the vicinity of Grand Crossing, 
a fe\v miles south of Chicago. He conceived the idea that 
a watch factory would be a good speculation, and if located 
on his property would " boom " its sale. In company with 
J. C. Adams he set about organizing a company, and in 
1870 one was formed with a capital of $200,000. Previous 
to the organization of the company, Mr. Adams negotiated 
with the Newark Company, and the result was that the 
Cornell Company purchased the plant for $135,000, giving 
stock to that amount as payment. 

Mr. Cornell set aside thirty acres of land as a site for the 
factory, erected a building at a cost of $75,000, taking stock 
in the company to that amount. The officers of the com- 
pany were as follows: President, Paul Cornell; Vice 
President, C. M. Cady; Secretary, J. B. Jackson; Treas- 
urer, Robert Schell; General Manager, T. C. Williams; 
General Agent, J. C. Adams. 

In August, 1871, (just prior to the Chicago fire), the new 
building was completed and the machinery, etc., in the 
Newark factory brought on. The departments were as 
follows: Machine shop, plate room, train room, screw 
room, regulator and stud room, polishing room, wheel and 
pinion finishing room, stem-wind room, pinion and wheel 
room, 'scape wheel cutting room, jewel and pallet room, 
setting-up room, adjusting room, and dial room, fourteen in 
all. Owing to the frequent changes made in the heads of 



48 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



the various departments it is almost impossible to give a 
list of the department sujDerintendents w^ith any degree of 
accuracy. The following gentlemen, however, may be 
named as having held various positions of trust during the 
career of this factory at Grand Crossing: Albert Troller, 
now superintendent of the Rockford Company; J. W. 
Hurd, late superintendent of the Aurora Companv; John 
Penny, now with the Elgin Company; John Logan, now 
foreman of springing in Waltham factory ; John Lucus, 
Chas. Boland, Frank Styles, E. Sandoz, C. L. Kidder, G. 
W. Hines, Thos. H. 
Wheeler, Geo. D. Clark, 
G. A. Kendrick, W. E. 
Piper, J. O. Newton, 
Isaac Holmes, Chas. Peg- 
ler, Alph, Jackson and C. 
R. Bacon. The latter 
gentleman acting as super- 
intendent. 

The old movement 
made by the Newark 
Company was improved 
on, and new machinery 
and a great many new 
tools made. The company manufactured ten grades of 
movements, as follows: "Paul Cornell," "J. C. Adams," 
^' Geo. F. Root," "John Evans," " H. N. Hibbard," " E. S. 
Williams," " C. T. Bowen," " C. M. Cady," " Geo. W. 
Waite," and " Ladies' Stem Wind." They were all iS-size, 
with the exception of the ladies' movement, and the greater 
majority were full plate and double sunk dial. Expansion 
balances were used. The " Paul Cornell " and " C. M. 
Cady " were stem-winders and the balance key-winders. 
The ladies' movement proved a failure, in spite of the fact 
that a trade paper in existence at the time said: 




MOVEMENT. 



PAST AND PRESENT. 49 

" One great feature of the Cornell Watch Company is, that 
they are the first in this county who have manufactured and intro- 
duced a 'Ladies' Stem Winding Watch,' which is, perhaps, in finish 
and originality of design, one of the greatest improvements of the 
age." 

Mr. Cornell came to the conckision that the Cornell Coni- 
jDany was going to be a great success, and accordingly he 
began to purchase the stock as fast as possible, vmtil, in 
abotit 1872, he found himself almost sole " monarch of all 
I survey." Two years after, however, he found the concern 
\vas not the sticcessful one he had anticipated, and \vas 
ready to unload his stock. After corresponding with sev- 
eral parties he at length entered into negotiations with W. 
C. Ralston, a wealthy banker of San Francisco. In the 
fall of 1 8 74 the entire jDl'^nt was conveyed to the latter 
place, and such einployes as could be induced to, were also 
taken to California. 

Mr. Cornell's object in moving the factory was to take 
advantage of Chinese labor, which was then very cheap 
and plentiful in San Francisco. The new concern was 
called the Cornell Watch Company' of San Francisco, with 
a capital of $250,000. The new company paid $100,000. 
for the Grand Crossing plant, which was theii estimated as 
being worth $175,000. The officers were: President, W. 
C. Ralston; Vice-President, Oliver Eldridge; Secretary 
and Treasurer, James Cox. 

An old building on Fourth street \vas remodeled as a fac- 
tor)\ An effort was made to introduce Chinese labor, but 
the employes struck and raised so many obstacles in the 
way that the attempt %vas abandoned. In 1875 it was dis- 
covered that the company was in a critical position, and in 
the fall of that year Mr. Ralston, the President, committed 
suicide. January i, 1876, the factory was closed. The 
California Watch Company succeeded the old company 



50 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

with a capital stock of $250,000. Berkely, a suburb of 
Oakland, was decided on as a site for the factory. A build- 
ing was erected at the cost of $20,000. The old machinery- 
was placed in the new factory, but operations were not 
resumed, as the company were luidecided whether to start 
up with the old machinery or build ne^v. They finally 
decided to wind up the business, as they saw no pi'ofit in 
starting up with the old tools, and were not in a condition 
to get new ones. They kept the machine shop running,, 
however, until the summer of 1S76, when the entire works 
were closed up. 

Mr. Albert Troller, the present Superintendent of the 
Rockford factory, made arrangements with Messrs. Glic- 
kauf & Newhouse, then of San Francisco, to take the bal- 
ance of the movements in the factory. In January, 1877, 
Mr. Troller bought all the unfinished material, leased the 
building, and proceeded to finish up all the movements. 
The movements were all finished early in the summer of 
1S77. The building and machinery were taken possession 
of by the Berkely Land Association, the machinery being 
eventually sold to the Independent Watch Company, of 
Fredonia, New York. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE United States Watch Company was organized in 
July, 1S64, ^vIth a capital stock of $5oo,cX)o. The 
firm of Giles, Wales & Co., then wholesale dealers in 
watches and jewelry in New York City, were the organ- 
izers, and owned the controlling stock in the compan}'. 
The officers of the company were F. A. Giles, President; 
William A. Wales, Secretary, Treasurer and General Busi- 
ness Manager. Directors: William A. Wales, G. C. F. 
W^ right, F. A. Giles, S. M. Beard and A. H. Wallis. 

Mr. James H. Gerry and several machinists from the 
Waltham factory were hired to build the machinery for the 
new factory. The company piuxhased a tract of land at 
^Marion, N. J., and erected a building wliich was finished in 
1865 at a cost of $135,000. It was constructed wholly of glass 
and iron in the proportion of five feet of glass to one foot 
of iron, and had a frontage of two hundred and fifty-three feet. 
The engine was an 80 horse power, and was built by the 
Putnam Machine Co., Fitchburg, Mass. An independent 
real-estate company was also formed, which was called the 
]SIarion Building Company. This company expended 
large amounts of mone\- in laying out grounds and erect- 
ing buildings, hoping to reap a rich harvest when the fac- 
tory got thoroughly imder way. Thev were doomed to 
disappointment, however, as the site selected was not a 
very desirable one, and the land was easier to buy than to 
selL 

(51) 



53 WATCir FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

James H. Gerry was made superintendent; John Gardi- 
ner, foreman pinion finishing; Walter Farnsworth and 
Chas. Berlin, nickel finishing; William Sheppard, flat steel; 
Geo. Hart, plate room; E. S. Gerry, escapement room; 
Fred. Lowell, motion room; D. B. Gerry, stem-wind room; 
H.J. Cain, balance room; E. A. Hull, dial room, and Wil- 
liam Smith, jewel room. Two hundred hands ^vere 
employed. 




THE UNITED STATES "WATCH COMPANY'S WATCH FACTORY, AT :MARION, N. J. 

The escapement was iS-size, straight-line, full j^late, 
expansion balance, exposed pallet jewels, having a hole in 
the top plate so that the escapement might be examined 
without taking the plates apart. The finer grades had 
three pairs of conical pivots, cap jeweled, in gold settings 
and were adjusted to heat, cold and position. The first 
movements put on the market wei'e called the " Frederick 
Atherton," and were completed in 1S67, the output then 
being but 30 movements per day. 



PAST AXD PRESENT. 



53 



In iS6S the capital stock of the company was increased 
to $1,000,000, JNIessrs. Giles, Wales & Co. taking $300,000 
more stock, making $475,000 worth of stock owned and 
controlled by this firm alone. In 186S James H., D. B. 
and E. S. Gerry left the emploj^ of the United States Watch 
Company to enter that of the New York Watch Company, 
of Springfield, Mass. James H. Gerry was succeeded as 

superintendent by Wm. H. 
Learned, under whose super- 
vision the " Fayette Strat- 
ton," "Geo. Channing" and 
"Edwin Rollo" were turned 
out. These movements were 
all iS-size, the "Stratton" 
being full nickel, the " Chan- 
ning " nickel top plate, and 
the "Rollo" was made in 
brass. 

In the summer of 1S69, 
William H. Learned was suc- 
ceeded by H. J. Lowe. Under Mr. Lowe's supervision the 
" United States," " S. M. Beard," " A. H. Wallace," "John 
Lewis," " Alexander," " Henry Randel," " G. A. Reed," 
"J. W. Deacon," "Chas. G. Knapp," and "Asa Fuller" 
were brought out. Nearly every movement made by this 
company was named after employes or stockholders. The 
" Stratton " was named after Mr. F. S. Giles, the " Ran- 
del " after Henry Randel, a stockholder and member of the 
diamond firm of Randel, Baremore & Billings, the "Rollo " 
after Edward R. Pratt, an employe of Giles, Wales & 
Co.; the "Wallace" after Mr, A. H. Wallace, a stock- 
holder; the "Channing," after G. C. F. Wright, of Giles, 
Wales & Co.; the "Beard" after Mr. S. M. Beard, a 
stockholder; the " Alexander " after Mr. James A. Alex- 




THE UNITED STATES WATCH. 



54 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



ander, of the ^^tna Insurance Co., a stockholder; the 
" Reed " after Mr. G. A. Reed, of Deep River, Conn., a 
stockholder. The " United States " was the finest move- 
ment made by this company, if not the finest then made in 
this country. It was i6-size, :^ -plate, compensation bal- 
ance, and Breguet hair spring, gold train, 19 ruby jewels, 
and was adjusted for position, heat and cold, and isochron- 
ism. It was an elegant movement, and the company 
always pointed to it with pride. Messrs. Giles, Bro. & 
Co., then situated at 83 and 85 State St., Chicago, were 
western agents, and Messrs. Giles, Wales & Co., 13 Maiden 
Lane, general agents of the company. 

Like all new concerns of the kind, the United States 
Watch Company sunk considerable money in its buildings, 
tools, patents and stock, to say nothing of the large sums 
absorbed in experimental processes. They gradually be- 
gan to run short of money, and finally were compelled to 
make an assignment in 1872 to Wm. Muirhead, of Jersey 
City. The firm of Giles, Wales & Co., had great faith in 
the concern, and had invested over $700,000 in its stock. 
After the assignment the factory was run under the name 
of the " Marion Watch Company," for about two years, 
when the mortgages were foreclosed, and the plant dis. 
posed of to the various companies then formed and form- 
ing. Some of the machinery was purchased by the Fre- 
donia Watch Company and the Auburndale Watch Com- 
pany, other portions by the Fitchburg Watch Company. 



CHAPTER VII. 

IN the spring of 1S64, Messrs. Ira G. Blake and P. S. 
Bartlett, both of whom were at that time connected 
with the Waltham Watch Company, paid a visit to Chi- 
cago. They became acquainted with J. C. Adams, then a 
watchmaker, and talked over the prospects for starting a 
watch factory in Chicago. Mr. Adams coincided with 
their views on the subject and interested several capitalists 
in the scheme. Messrs. Blake and Bartlett gave a glowing 
description of the Waltham Watch Company's business; 
they -waxed eloquent, and at length convinced the capi- 
talists that if Waltham could manufacture watches by ma- 
chinery and supply the Western states, surely Chicago 
could make watches by machinery and supply the demand 
in the Eastern states. 

On August 27, 1864, a company was incorporated under 
the name of " The National Watch Company of Chicago, 
Illinois," with a capital of $100,000. The incorporators 
were Philo Carpenter, Howard Z. Culver, Benjamin W- 
Raymond, Geo. M. Wheeler, Thomas S. Dickerson, 
Edward H. Williams and W. Robbins. 

Messrs. Adams and Wheeler made a visit to the East 
and the following gentlemen contracted with the company 
for five years: Messrs. Otis Hoyt, P. S. Bartlett, Charles 
S. Moseley, Geo. Hunter, D. R, Hartwell, Chas. E. 
Mason, D. G. Currier and J. K. Bigelow. It was decided 
that the factory should be located at Elgin, and a tract of 

(55) 



56 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

thirty-five acres of land was donated to the company for a 
factor}' site by the business men of that place. A three- 
story frame building, 35x60 feet was erected on the water 
power and work begun on the watch tools and machineis. 
D. G. Currier, a Waltham expert, was hired, and together 
^vith Messrs, Moseley and Hunter, the work was started. 
Api-il 25, 1865, the company was reorganized under a special 
charter with a capital of $500,000. The first ofliicers of 
the company were: Benjamin W. Raymond, Chicago, 
President; Philo Carpenter, Chicago, Vice-President; 
Thomas S. Dickerson, Chicago, Treasurer, and Geo. M. 
Wheeler, Chicago, Secretary. The first board of directors 
consisted of Messrs. B. W. Raymond, Philo Carpenter, H. 
Z. Culver, T. S. Dickerson, J. T. Ryerson, G.M. Wheeler 
and B. F. Lawrence. In the spring of this year work was 
commenced on the permanent factory, which consisted of 
a three-story and basement, brick and stone building, 40X 
40 feet, with two wings 371^x100 and 275^x86 feet, re- 
spectively. 

Jan. I, 1866, the machinery department was transferred 
to the new building. June ist of the same year the ^^'ork 
of manufactvu'ing M^atch materials was begun, but it was 
not until April i, 1867, that the first movement was de- 
livered from the factory. This movement was named B. 
W. Raymond, in honor of the president of the compan}'. 
This movement was not, however, like the original model, 
but was an i8-size, ke}^ wind, full-plate, w^ith quick train 
and straight line escapement arranged to set on the face- 
and was adjusted to temperature. It was a four hole, 
extra je"weled movement, and was a success from the very 
start. 

During the summer of 1866 the factory began to assume 
a somewhat busy aspect. One department after another 
was organized in rapid succession. The first foremen of 



PAST AND PRESENT. 57 

the respective departments, were as follows: General 
superintendent, Charles S. Moseley; machine shop, Geoi'ge 
Hunter; plate and screw, P. S. Bartlett; jeweling, Chas. 
H. Bagley ; train, J. K. Bigelow, with Otis Hoyt as assist- 
ant; balance, Eben Hancock; escapement, C< E. Mason; 
finishing, D. G. Currier; dial, John Webb; adjusting, J. 
F. Gilson; gilding, James Fairchild; flat steel, William M. 
Goodridge. 

The officers of the company ^vere subsequently changed 
and in 1867 they were: B. W. Raymond, President; B. 
F. Lawrence, Vice-President; G. M. Wheeler, Secretar3% 
Directors, B. W. Raymond, H. Z. Culver, B. F. Lawrence, 
H. H. Taylor, G. M. Wheeler, J. T. Ryerson and T. M. 
Avery. 

On July 16, 1S67, a new watch ^vas turned out which 
was named the H. Z. Culver. The slow train was then 
adopted on all the new movements brought ovit and they 
appeared on the market as follows: J. T. Ryerson, Oct. 
14, 1867; H. H. Taylor, Nov. 20, 1867; G. M. Wheeler, 
Nov. 26, 1867; Matthew Laflin, Jan. 4, 1868. 

Otis Hoyt left his home in Amesbury to go to work for 
the Waltham company in 1858. He severed his connec- 
tion with the company at the time of the war, and served 
as captain until he was honorably discharged in July, 1864. 
In the fall of that year he joined forces with Geo. Hunter 
and several others and went to Elgin, contracting with that 
company for a term or five years. His health failed him, 
however, and in 1867 he was compelled to go to Califor- 
nia for a change of climate, and from there he returned to 
Waltham. He soon went to Springfield, 111., to act as. 
superintendent, and remained in that position until 1871, 
when he went to Elgin to take charge of the train room, 
a position which he filled creditabl}^ for fourteen years. 
He died at his residence in Elgin, June 2, 1S85, inhis forty- 
eighth year. 



^8 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



Mr. Benjamin W. Raymond, who was made president 
of the company after its organization, served until Oct. lo, 
1867, when he was succeeded by T. M. Avery, who has 
since held the office. Mr. G. M. Wheeler, the secretary, 
was succeeded by Mr. Hiram Reynolds in January, 1868, 

January 28, 1869, the authorized capital of the company 
was increased to $2,000,000. 

May 20, 1869, the " Lady Elgin" made its appearance 
on the market. It was the first of the series of lo-size 
key wind, ladies' movements, and proved very popular. 
It was followed by the Francis Ruble, which was adjusted 
to temperature, appearing 
August 24, 1870; the Gail 
Borden, September 8, 1871, 
and the Dexter Street, De- 
cember 20, 187 1 . 

Mr. Benj. F. Lawrence, 
the vice-president of the 
company, died December 
16, 1 87 1, and Mr. Geo. N. 
Culver was elected to fill 
the vacant chair. 

'-'^1 June 20, 10735 tne the " b. w. Raymond " movement. 

first stem- wind movement was placed on the market. It 
was a Raymond movement made over, and was shortl}' fol- 
lowed by the Culver, Taylor, Wheeler, Laflin and Ogden. 
At a special meeting of the stockholders of the company 
held in Chicago, May 12, 1874, it was decided to change 
the name of the company to " The Elgin National Watch 
Company." This was thought to be advisable because the 
movements manufactured by the company were vniiversally 
known as and called "Elgin Watches." In March, 1875, 
the company began to make its own mainsprings, which 
had prior to that time been purchased ready made. June 




PAST AND PRESENT. 6l 

i6, 1S75, ^^^^ ^^^^ watches called by the name of the com- 
pany, were placed on the market, and were designated by 
numbers. 

Seven ne-w grades of 10 size, six grades of 12 size and 
five grades of 14 size, three-quarter plate, key wind move- 
ments, were made by the company between Sept. 29, 1S75, 
and Dec. 29, 1876. Most of these new patterns were made 
for the foreign markets, ^vhich demanded movements dif- 
fering in some respects from those made for home con- 
sumption. So large was the demand for Elgin movements 
during the year 1876, that the factor}-, although running 
over time, and turning out movements as fast as the capac- 
ity would admit of, yet the orders were far behind, and 
dealers were beginning to complain. The London office 
of the company was closed, the forces increased, and 
everything possible was done to meet the enormous 
demand. 

In January, 1877, Mr. Hiram Reynolds, the Secretary, 
was succeeded by Mr. George R. Noyes. 

The company placed its first nickel movement ujDon the 
market, August 15, 1877. 

A new line of 8 size, stem wind movements were placed 
upon the market, June 11, 1S78. In the fall of 1878 four 
grades of 16 size, three-quarter plate, stem-wind move- 
ments were brought out. These movements were inter- 
changeable, in hunting and open face cases, and were at 
that time considered quite a novelty. 

Mr. George R. Noyes died in Jul}-, 1879, leaving vacant 
the office of secretary, and Mr. Whitehead was elected and 
served until June, 1884, when he was succeeded by Mr. 
William G. Prall. 

Henry H. Taylor died November 9, 1875; William H. 
Ferry, died March 26, 18S0; J. T. Ryerson died March 9, 
1883; Benjamin W. Raymond died April 5, 1883. 



63 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

Mr. George N. Culver filled the position of Vice-Presi- 
dent until June, 1884, when Mr. James W. Scoville was 
elected to that position. 

Upon the death of Otis Hoyt, foreman of the train 
room, in June, 1S85, his assistant, Mr. George E. Farring- 
ton, ^vas promoted to the position of foreman. 

For a number of years the mainsprings were made by 
Prenot of Philadelphia, but later on the company made 
their own springs. The " Burt patent " to prevent acci- 
dent in case of mainspring breakage was the invention of 
Mr. Merritt Burt of Cleveland, Ohio, and modified by 
Mr. Chas. S. Moseley. 

The factory is producing at present about 7,500 move- 
ments per week, about one-fifth of which are key wind and 
one-tenth nickel. About 2,300 persons are employed. 
The various positions are at present occupied as follows : 
President, T. M. Avery; Vice-President, J. W. Scoville; 
Secretary, William G. Prall; Directors, T. M. Avery, J. 
W. Scoville, George H. Laflin, Chas. Fargo, Martin Ryer- 
son, G. N. Culver and M. C. Town; General Agents, J. 
M. Cutter, Chicago; C. J. Scofield, New York; Super- 
intendent, Geo. Hunter; Asst. Supt , William H. Cloud- 
man; Cashier, Carlos H. Smith; Book-keeper, W. P. Hem- 
mens; Shipping Clerk, J. McLaughlin; Material Clerk, 
H.L. Given; foreman finishing department A, William 
H. Black: finishing B, J. H. Moulton; motion, F. H. 
Corthell; escapement, George E. Hunter; stem-wind, 
William C. Torrey; screv^, Frank Preston; gilding, Wil- 
liam Hewins; engraving, A. F. Kelsey; jeweling, L. N. 
Jackson; dial, F. B. Perkins; balance, E. F. Gooding; 
train, G. E. Farrington; plate, Hiram Thomas; flat 
steel, A. F. Alden; mainspring, Charles Lehman; hand 
and press, C. L. Young; machine, W. F. Dean; timing, 
Ira Pixley; master watchmaker, C. P. Corliss ; median- 



PAST AND PRESENT. 63 

ical engineer, Frank Leman; superintendent gas, water 
and steam, A. L. Harrington; head carpenter, D. R. 
Hartwell. 

The floor area of the present building is 169,000 square 
feet, not inchiding the detached buildings, such as the gas 
house, 52 X 180 feet, the purifying house, 30x64 feet, the 
generating house, 60x118 feet, carpenter shop, 30x135 
feet, and engine house. From the above it will be seen 
that the company makes all its own gas, which is of a 
superior quality. The water is furnished by an artesian 
well, and all known precautions against fire have been taken. 
The factory has its own steam fire engine, a trained fire 
brigade, one hundred dozen fire grenades, and a Holly sys- 
tem of water works, with a capacity of eight one inch 
streams. Two eighty horse power engines provide the 
power for this mammoth institution. 




J. C. ADAMS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

AS a watch factory organizer Mr. J. C. Adams has prob- 
ably had more experience than any hving man, and his 
name is familiar to every watchmaker and jeweler in this 
country. Mr. Adams was born in Preble, N. Y., October 
7, 1834. His father was a prosperous farmer. When he 
was but two years of age his father sold his farm and 
removed to Syracuse, N. Y. In 1S42 he gathered together 
his chatties and removed to \vhat v\^as then termed the far 
west, locating in Elgin, 111. Mr. Adams served a five 
years' apprenticeship to John H. Atkins, an old Liverpool 
%vatchmaker. After finishing his apprenticeship he was 
engaged as watchmaker by S. C. Spalding, of Janesville, 
Wis. After two years employment by Mr. Spalding, he 
again returned to Elgin and entered into partnership with 
G. B.Adams, the firm being known as G. B. & J. C.Adams. 
At the end of two years the partnership was dissolved and 
Mr. Adams went to Chicago and was employed in the 
watch department of Messrs. Hoard & Hoes. In 1861 he 
managed the watch department of W. H. & C. Miller, 
Chicago, and had an interest in that department. In 1863 
he was appointed time keeper for the various railroads 
centering in Chicago. 

In the spring of 1S64, Mr. Adams severed his connec- 
tion with W. H. & C. Miller and together with Messrs. 
Chas. S. Moseley and P. S. Bartlett, organized the Elgin 
Watch Company. In 1869, together with Mr. Paul 
Cornell, he organized the Cornell Watch Company of 

(67) 



68 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

Grand Crossing, 111., and served for some time as general 
agent of that company. One of the movements made by 
this company was named in his honor. 

In 1869, Mr. Adams, together with Springfield capital- 
ists, organized the Illinois Watch Company at Spring- 
field. 

In 1874 he organized the Adams & Peny Watch Manu- 
facturing Company, and became Secretary and General 
Manager of the company. He resigned his position in the 
fall of 1875. 

In 1883 he entered the employ of the Independent 
Watch Compan}^ of Fredonia, N. Y. In 1885 he organ- 
ized the Peoria Watch Company and continued with that 
company until April 14, 18S8. He is the inventor and 
patentee of " The Adams System of Time Records " which 
is employed on nearly every w^estern railroad. 



CHAPTER IX. 

AARON L. Dennison, as previously described, was 
not discouraged by his somewhat checkered exper- 
ience as an organizer and stockholder of watch companies, 
but made a final effort to right himself. In 1S64 he visited 
A. O. Bigelow, of Boston, and explained his ideas to him in 
regard to the establishment of a factory on a somewhat 
novel basis. At that time there was a good demand for a 
medium-priced movement, and the field was far from being 
occupied. After some deliberation the Tremont Watch 
Company, was organized in April, 1864, with a capital 
stock of $100,000. Mr. Dennison's idea was to have cer- 
tain parts of the movements made in Switzerland, whei'e 
labor was cheap, shipped to the United States, and with the 
other parts, wrhich were to be made in America, set up and 
adjusted. By doing this, he argued, the company could put 
their product on the market in a much shorter space of 
time, and could save the expense of building complicated 
and expensive machinery, and a large building. 

Mr. Dennison was elected superintendent of the company, 
and was to go to Switzerland to see to the manufacture of 
the parts that were thought best to have manufactured 
there. The plates, barrels and some minor parts wei'e to be 
made in Boston, and after getting together the necessary 
machinery, the work was started. D. B. Bingham was 
made superintendent of the Boston shop, with Charles P. 
Crafts as foreman. D. F. Leary had charge of the jewel- 
ing ; John Polsey, plate room ; Andrew Brush, gilding ; 

(69) 



-ii^ 70 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

O. Jenkins, master watchmaker, and C. Byam was foreman 
of the flat steel work. 

Mr. Dennison went to Zurich, where he hired a shop, 
and commenced work on the trains, balances and escape- 
ments. Most of the work was done outside the shop, and 
Mr. Denison contracted with various parties to f virnish certain 
^Dortions of the work. Several competent men were 
employed to work in the shop where the balances were 
tried, the escapements matched, and the pivoting done. 
The first movements, which -were i8-size, full jeweled, were 
placed on the market in the summer of 1S65. 

In 1866 the company decided to move the factory to Mel- 
rose, Mass., and manufacture the entire movement in this 
country. Mr. Dennison was strongly opposed to this change 
as the company were doing a very good business, and the 
outlook yvas very encouraging. He prophesied that if the 
change was made the company would surely come to grief. 
The officers of the company, however, had decided on the 
change, and accordingly a frame building 50X 100 feet was 
purchased, and the old tools and machinery moved in, and 
arrangements made for the manvifacture of new ones. Mr. 
Dennison then withdrew from the company as a stock- 
holder, but continued to furnish the company with material 
until the new tools were well under way. The old move- 
ment was remodeled and engraved " Melrose Watch Com- 
pany." About this time the company began to run short 
of funds, and called upon the stockholders for the addi- 
tional fifty per cent, of the capital stock. The stockholders, 
however, failed to come to time, and in 186S Mr. Dennison's 
prophesy came true. Mr. Dennison was asked to sell the 
plant in Switzerland, but could find no purchasers. In 1870 
Mr. Dennison retvu-ned to Boston, and tried to organize a 
new company, and buy the old plant. Failing in this, he 
went to England, vs^here he effected a sale of the machinery 
to what is now known as the "English Watch Company." 



CHAPTER X. 

THE Mozart Watch Company was organized in the 
spring of 1864, the incorporators being mostly whole- 
sale and manufacturing jewelers of New York City and 
Providence. The office and factory of the compan}^ was 
located in Providence, R.I. The capital stock was $100,000. 
The watch which the company proposed to manufacture 
was i8-size; and was known as the "three-wheeled Mozart," 
the invention of D. J. Mozart, of Xenia, Ohio. Geo. S. Rice 
was President ; J. A. Briggs, Secretary, and Mr. Mozart 
was made Superintendent. Work was immediately com- 
menced on the machinery and tools, and in the fall of 1S64 
work was commenced upon the movement, and then the 
trouble began to brew. The stockholders finally decided 
that the Mozart watch would never be a success, and that 
the sooner they abandoned it the better off they would be. 
This was in the spring of 1866, and in the summer of the 
same year L. W. Cushing, of Waltham, was placed in Mr. 
Mozart's position, with instructions to build the necessary 
machinery for the manufacture of a regular i8-size three- 
quarter plate lever movement. The name of the company 
was then changed to " The New York Watch Company." In 
1867 the company purchased two buildings, and a piece of 
ground in Springfield, Mass., and moved the machinery 
there. The buildings consisted of a large boarding house, 
and a large building which had previously been occupied as 
a machine shop. After moving to Springfield the company 
was reorganized and the capital increased to $300,000. The 

(70 



7^ 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



former president and secretary retained their offices, and 
George Walker was elected as Treasurer, and O. P. Rice 
became business manager. In i86S James H. Gerry, who 
was in the employ of the United States Watch Company, 
was secured and placed in the position of superintendent. 
The factory was destroyed by fire April 25, 1870, but many 
of the machines and part of the material was saved. The 
company then cleared away the debris, and moved the 
boarding house into the position previously occupied by the 




THE NEW YORK WATCH COMPANY'S FACTORY', AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS., DESTROYED BY' FIRE APRIL, ZJ, 1S7O. 

factory. It was remodeled, and in about three months the 
factory was in operation again. The first movements 
placed on the market were i8-size, three-quarter 
plate, lever movements, with straight line escapement. 
These movements were known as " Springfield," "John L. 
King," "Homer Foot," "No. 5," "J. A. Briggs," "H. G. 
Norton," and "Albert Clark." In 187 1 the company 
placed an i8-size full plate movement on the market. 

The factory did well until the year of the great panic, 
1873, when they began to fall behind. They finally pulled 
through 1873 and 1874 by reducing the number of employ- 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



73 



ees, but in 1875 they decided to close the factory. The 
stockholders reorganized under the name of the New York 
Watch Manufacturing Company. - This did not last long, 
however, for in about eight months the factory was again 
closed. In 1877 the stock and bond holders reorganized 
under a new title with fresh capital, having purchased the 
machinery of the old company. Of the new company, 
which was known as the Hampden Watch Company, we 
will speak in another chapter. 

Mr. James H. Gerr}-, who was made superintendent in 

1 868, retired early in 1870, 
and was succeeded by 
Mr. Osm ore Jenkins, who 
was in turn succeeded hy 
Mr. H. J. Cain. D. B. 
Gerrj^, E. S. Gerry, Geo. 
Hunt, Geo. Griffin, Chas. 
P. Crafts, Charles Ayer, 
Leo Murray and George 
Pollard held various posi- 
tions in the factory in its 
younger days. The vari- 
ous movements were the 
"Frederick Billings," a full jeweled, iS-size, adjusted 
movement; the "George Walker," an i8-size, three- 
quarter plate ; the " New York Watch Company," a 16-size 
three-cjuarter plate; the "John Hancock," a cheap iS-size, 
seven jewel, key wind; the " Geo. Sance Rice," an i8-size, 
seven jewel, imitation expansion balance, and the "Chas. 
E. Hay ward," an 18-size, eleven jewel, imitation expansion 
balance. 




THE NEW YORK WATCH. 



CHAPTER XI. 



SOON after his discharge by the Providence com- 
pany, in iS66, as described in a previous chapter, 
D. J. Mozart moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where 
he proceeded to organize a company known as the "Mozart 
Watch Company." The capital stock was two hundred 
thousand dollars, and the incorporators w^ere W. A. Benedict, 
Don J. Mozart, C. T. Wilmot, W. W. Wheedon, A. J. 

Southerland and Charles 
Tripp. The officers of 
the company were, Prest. 
Chas. Tripp; Treasurer, 
W. W. Wheedon, and 
Secretary, A. J. South- 
erland, Mr. Mozart was 
made Superintendent. A 
factory was rented, and 
machinists hired to build 
the necessary machinery^ 
The movement w^as the 
THE "three- wheeled" MOZART. sauic as that wliich he 

tried to have the Mozart Company, of Providence, intro- 
duce, and was seventeen size. Obstacles of various kinds 
began to present themselves, and the progress of the work 
did not please the stockholders. Nearly three years had 
elapsed since the organization of the company and there 
was no fruits to show for the labor and money expended. 
The money began to run short, and in the winter of 1870 

(75) 




76 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



the stockholders decided to sell out if a buyer could be 
found. Some thirty odd movements were finished at this 
time, all of them given to stockholders and friends, and 
none being placed on the market. 

A company was organized in Rock Island, Illinois, and 
after an inspection of the machinery, decided to purchase it. 
The price paid for the plant was $40,000 : $35,000 in stock 
of the new company, and a note for the balance. No avail- 
able site could be found for the factory at Rock Island, and 
accordingly the town of Milan, some seven miles below the 
city, was selected as a fitting place for the factory. The 
officers of the company 
Avere, J. A. Wilson, Pres- 
ident; CM. Aiken, Sec- 
retary and Business Man- 
ager. Frank Leman, no 
designer for the Elg 
Company, was engage I 
as Superintendent. G.J 
McElwain, of Chicago, 
made the model watch for 
the Company, which was 
somewhat like the Mo- 




FREEPORT MOVEMENT. 



zart movement. After 
the machinery was moved to Milan, and placed on the floor 
of the new building, the stockholders came to the conclu- 
sion that it was not just what they wanted, and refused 
to pay the notes for $15,000. The Mozart Company- 
sent a representative to Milan to arbitrate their claim, which 
resulted in the return of the machinery to the Mozart 
Company and the payment of $5,000. 

In 1874 a stock company was formed at Freeport, Illinois, 
with a capital of $250,000. The incorporators and officers 
of this company were residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



77 



and Freeport, Illinois. Part of the old Mozart plant was 
purchased for $51,000; $1,000 cash and $50,000 in stock in 
the new company. A brick building was erected in Free- 
port, 40x100 feet and the machinery moved into it. This 
company never manufactured many movements, however, 
as the factor}- was burned down on the night of October 21, 
1875, and the building and contents were a total loss. The 
company were insured for $30,000. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE Illinois Springfield Watch Company was organ- 
ized in January, 1869, with a capital stock of $100,- 
000, with T. J. Stuart as President, W. B. Miller, Secretary, 
and a Board of Directors, consisting of John W. Bunn, 
Geo. Passfield, John Williams, Geo. Black and the Secre- 
tary and President. The company was organized mainly 
through the efforts of J. C. Adains. Mr. Adams em- 
ployed a number of experienced men in Elgin to build the 
machinery for the new company, and work was commenced 
on the building. This was in the spring of 1870, and the 
building was ready for occupancy in the fall of the same 
year. The first watch was turned out early in 1S72, In 
1873 a New York office was opened, with J. M. Morrow as 
agent, and in 1879 a Chicago office was opened, with L. W. 
Arnold as manager, a position which he occupied until 
eaidy in 1887. The hard times of 1873 and 1874 placed 
the company in an embarassing position. They had a large 
surplus of finished movements on hand and little or no 
demand existed. They pulled through however, after a 
desperate effort, but were short of ready funds. In 1875 a 
new^ company was organized, that assumed all the liabilities 
of the old one. The capital stock of this company \vas 
placed at $250,000 and E.N. Bates elected President. The 
new company however, met with no better success than the 
old one, and although the working force was enlarged and 
the product considerably increased, yet the company steadily 
lost money. In 1879 the company was again reorganized 

(79) 



So 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



and Jacob Bunn, one of the original stockholders, elected 
President. The name of the company was changed to 
the Springfield Illinois Watch Company. The early pro- 
duct of the factory was known as the "Hoyt," "Stuart," 
"Mason," "Bunn" and "Miller." The first stem-wind 
movement was made in 1875 ^^^ ^^^^ ^^'^^ ladies' movement 
in 1S76. In the early part of 18S6 the company put upon, 
the market their foui'-size ladies' watch, which at that time 
was the smallest watch made in the United States. 

The following gentlemen have served in the capacity of 
foremen of different de- 
partments at various times; 
Otis Hoyt, C. E. Mason, 
D. G. Currier, W. F. 
Dean, J. K. Biglow, John 
Wilkenson, John Leman, 
Eben Hancock, John Peg- 
ler, and Ferd. F. Ide. The 
first superintendent was J. 
K. Biglow, who served in 
that capacit}^ from April, 
1870 until July, 1873, when 
he was suceeded by D. G. Currier, who served imtil 1875, 
w^hen he was in turn succeeded by Otis Hovt. Mr. Hoyt 
was suceeded in March, 1S78 by C. E. Mason. The 
plant of the Company is located upon fourteen acres of 
ground just outside the city limits of Springfield, on 
North Grand Avenue between Ninth and Eleventh Streets. 
The buildings are of brick, with stone trimmings, and 
the visitor is at once impressed with their compact and 
at the same time convenient arrangement. The main 
factory building has a frontage of 350 feet, and consists 
of a central building, 40x50 feet, and four stories in height 
and two wings, each 30x100 feet, three stories in height. 




THE ILLINOIS MOVEMENT. 



S2 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

There are two wings, three stories high, which branch 
from the large main wings, besides a gas house, annex and 
several small buildings. 

At present the company employ 900 hands and turn out 
about 400 finished movements daily. The present officers of 
the company are Jacob Bunn, President; John W. Bunn, 
Vice President; Geo, A. Bates, Acting Secretary; A. E. 
Bently, Manager. The present Board of Directors consists 
of Jacob Bunn, J. W. Bunn, B. H. Ferguson, Geo. A. 
Bates, Thos. C. Henkle, and Henry Bunn. 

Mr. F. W. Cory is the manager of the New York ofiice 
and G. G. Gubblns, manager of Chicago otfice. 

The seventeen departments of the factory are presided 
over as follows: Machine, Engine E. Bradford; plate, C. 
A. Bradeen; gilding, Wm. Palmer; hand punch, D. Nash 
Mitchell; mainspring, John Lehmann; flat steel and screv^, 
J. D. Lowe; pinion roughing, D. W. Chalmers; pinion 
cutting, J. H. Burns; pinion finishing, C. G. Village; bal- 
ance, A. H. Smith; jeweling, A. H. Ranzenberger; motion, 
S. J. Caughey; stem wind, N. M. Benson ; escapement, 
J. F. Crowe; dial. C.B.Nichols; timing, T. Presternd; 
finishing A, W. J. Evans; finishing C, J. Pedersen. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE Rockford Watch Company was organized in March 
1S74, with a capital stock of $150,000. The incor- 
poi'ators were H. P. Holland, Israel Sovereign and George 
Troxell. The company immediately proceeded to construct 
the necessary tools and machinery and build a suitable fac- 
tory. The factory was completed early in 1S76, and the 
necessary tools and machinery moved into it. The first 
officers of the company were: President, Levi Rhodes, 
Vice Prest., Henry W. Price; Treasurer, George Troxell. 
The first Board of Directors consisted of George D. Clarke, 
Orlando Clarke, A. D. Forbes, Thos. Butterworth, Israel 
Sovereign, S. P. Crawford and the President, Vice Prest. 
and Treasurer. The company placed its first goods upon 
the market in the fall of 1876. Most of the emplo3'es came 
from the Cornell Watch Company's factory at Grand 
Crossing. Geo. D. Clarke was made Superintendent and 
P. H. Wheeler assistant Superintendent. Mr. Clarke 
was succeeded in 1S76 by J. W. Hurd. The foremen were 
as follows: U. C. Osborne, polishing; J. E. Tobin, spring- 
ing; J. D. Camp, pinions; C. W. Parker,''plate room, and 
G. A. Hines, jeweling. 

After due consideration, the company decided that 
they would sell their products direct to the retail trade, and 
were the pioneers of this system. They also decided that 
it was better to make a small number of watches of a good 
quality, rather than a large number of indifferent quality. 
The company soon found that there was a steadilv increas- 

(S3) 



84 THE. WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

ing demand for a watch suitable for railroad men, and they 
decided to make all their movements quick train. 

The Rockford Company, unlike many others of its kind, 
met with success from the start, and has never been com- 
pelled to close its doors. Much of this success is due to ex- 
cellent judgment and rare business ability and foresight of 
its managers, but not a little is also due to the excellency of 
its products. 

The factory, which is situated in a commanding position 
upon a bluff, is a three story brick and stone structure, 
occupying a frontage of 96 feet, and consists of a central 
building 32 x 125 feet with two wings, each 32 x 70 feet. 
The present product of the company is i 50 movements per 
day, and 350 persons are employed. 

The fourteen different departments of the factory are 
presided over as follows: 

Superintendent, Albert Troller. Foreman machine and 
die, John A. Johnson ; plate, John Glynn ; gilding, 
Thomas Conway; escape and flat steel, J. S. Clark; 
screw, Bert Waters; springing, timing and adjusting, 
James E. Tobin; pinion roughing, Fred Lake; pinion 
finishing, Louis C* Grassell; balance, Fred Goi^k; jewel- 
ing, Guy H. Cutting; motion, W. H. Colburn; dial, E.J. 
Guilford; polishing, U. C. Osborne; matching, William 
Wildt; finishing, James C. Gaskins. 

The officers of the company are: President, Henry W.' 
Price; Secretary, Hosmer P. Holland; Treasurer, J. P. 
Drake. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

IN May, 1S74, several prominent citizens of Lancaster, Pa., 
together with J. C. Adams, organized a watch company 
with a capital stock of $78,000. In June of the same year 
a Board of Directors was elected together with the follow- 
ing officers: President, E. J. Zahm; Vice-President, John 
Best; Sec'y and Gen'l Manager, J. C. Adams, and Treasurer, 
J. B, Roath. The company was incorporated Sept. 26, 
1874, under the name of the Adams & Perry Watch Mfg. 
Co. E. H. Perry was appointed superintendent and sev- 
eral of his patents were adopted by the company, a royalty 
of three dollars per movement being paid to him. A 
machine shop was started and work on the tools and machin- 
ery commenced. 

Mr, C. A. Bitner, of Lancaster, donated a three-acre tract 
of land as a site for a factory and work on the building- 
was commenced in the fall of 1S74. The factory was com- 
pleted in the summer of 1875, and the tools and machinery- 
were moved in. About this time the first misunderstanding 
arose, Mr. Adams' plan was to import the escapements, etc., 
but his suggestions were overruled and those of Mr. Perrv, 
to manufacture the comj^lete movement in the factory, were 
adopted. Mr. Adams thereupon resigned his position both 
as Secretary and Manager. 

In the fall of 1875 the company found themselves pressed 
for ready funds and accordingly bonds to the amount of 
$35,000 were issued. The first movement was finished 
April, 7, 1876, twenty-two months after starting the build- 

(S5) 



86 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



ing of the machinery. The great delay in getting out the 
movements involved considerable expense and the company 
again found themselves in an embarrassing position. An 
effort was made to increase the capital stock, but it proved 
a failure, and the factory was closed May i6, 1876. 

Efforts were immediateh' set on foot and a new company 
was organized. The old directors then resigned and were 
succeeded by eleven new ones. The following resolutions 
were then adopted : " That all contracts with operatives be 
annulled. That all the patents owned by E. H. Perry 
shall be assigned to the 
company, with the proviso 
that if Mr. PeiTy shall leave 
the company he shall have 
the I'ight to allow one other 
company to use them. That 
the royalty hereafter be paid 
to Mr. Perry be $1 for each 
movement. That the direc- 
tors raise $50,000 by issuing 
covertible mortgage bonds, 
or by any other means, and 
that said bonds be sold to 
the stockholders at 80 per cent of their face, and any 
part of said bonds remaining unsold to be placed upon the 
market at par. That the capital stock be increased to $250,- 
000 and Mr. A. Bitner appointed manager." 

The following officers were then elected: President, 
Dr. H. Carpenter; Vice-President, B. F.Eshelman; Treas- 
urer, C. A. Bitner; Sec'y, J. P. McCask}^;. Manager, Abra- 
ham Bitner. For some unknown reason the bonds above 
mentioned were never issued, and on June 10, 1876, the 
company being pushed by their creditors were obliged to 
make an assignment to C. A. Bitner, who sold the property 




THE KEYSTONE MOVEMENT. 



PAST AND PRESENT. Sy 

at public sale. It was purchased by Dr. Carpenter for a 
syndicate for $47,000, subject to two mortgages aggregat- 
ing $30,000. 

In August, 1877, the Lancaster Watch Company was 
formed, and the}- advanced a cash capital of $31,000, con- 
sisting of seven shares of $3,000 each. These shares were 




THK FACTORY OF THE KEYSTONE WATCH COMPANY, LANCASTER, PA. 

owned by A. Bitner, S. F. Rathfou, John Best, Bitner & 
Hostetter, Eshelman & Rathfou, J. P. McCasky, and H. S. 
Gurra. Work -was commenced Sept. i, 1877, and a new 
movement was designed and modeled. It was a three- 
quarter plate, full jeweled. In the fall of 1878 the capital 
stock was increased $35,000, mainlv through the efforts of 
Mr. A. Bitner. 



88 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

The company was reorganized Oct. 31, 1S78, under the 
name of the Lancaster, Pa., Watch Company, Limited, 
with a capital of $160,000. The old model adopted hy the 
company not proving satisfactory, a new one was ordered, 
but before any of this pattern could be placed upon the mar- 
ket the company again found itself short of ready funds. 
An attempt was made to borrow money, but owing to a 
misunderstanding among the stockholders, this proved a 
failure. A new company was formed May 9, 1879, under 
the title of the Lancaster Watch Company. The new com- 
pany leased the property, paying 6 per cent, interest, taxes 
and insurance; this lease was for a term not to exceed five 
years, the interest being based on a valuation of $130,000. 
The following officers were then elected: Prest., J. I. 
Hartmann; Sec'y.,J. P. McCasky; Treas.,J. D. Skyles. 
Mr. A. Bitner was appointed Manager. Things went on 
swimmingly for some time, the product being greatly 
increased, and in April, 18S3, the Lancaster Watch Com- 
pany surrendered its lease to the owners, the Lancaster, 
Pa., Watch Company. The two companies then consoli- 
dated with a capital stock of $248,000, with the same offi- 
cers and a few slight changes in the board of directors. In 
July, 1S83, the factory was again closed, but later on the 
board succeeded in borrowing $35,000 and work was 
resumed, although a heavy indebtedness had accumulated 
and many of the stockholders began to grow uneasy. Mr. 
Bitner then made the dissatisfied stockholders a proposition 
to take their stock off their hands without compensation and 
assume all indebtedness. Several large stockholders trans- 
ferred their stock and together with other blocks which he 
purchased at ridiculously low figures, Mr, Bitner soon 
became the owner of 5,625 of the 8,000 shares. 

In 1886 the Keystone Standard Watch Co., with a full 
paid capital of $500,000 purchased the factory. Its officers 



PAST AND PRESENT. 89 

are: President, Dr. C. M. Shellenberger; Vice-President, 
Geo. M. Franklin; Sec'y and Treas., W. Z. Sener. Direc- 
tors, Geo. M. Franklin and W. Z. Sener, of Lancaster, and 
Dr. C. M. Shellenberger, Stanton Wilgus and W. J. Atkin- 
son, of Philadelphia. 

The officers of the new company are all men of means, 
ability and energy, with the reputation of having succeeded 
in every enterprise they have ever undertaken. Under their 
control the factory has been steadily increasing its output 
and the quality of its goods. They expect within a short 
time to reach a production of at least 300 a day. 

The superintendents and foremen are as follows: Super- 
intendent, Abraham Bitner; ass't supt.,J. H.Koch; master 
mechanic, W. H. Denny; foreman, train, Joseph Buettner; 
plate, Wesley Rooney; screw, A. Burkhai't; jeweling, A. 
Buch; motion, Joel Baker; balance, C. E. Wilson; flat steel, 
W. Coho; escape, H. Coho; springing, Marcus Keeport; 
finishing, E. Snyder; gilding, Joseph Gorde; dial making, 
Frank Rooney; dial painting, George Hetrick; inspector 
John W. Bitner. 

Their entire product is placed through Atkinson Bros., of 
Philadelphia, who sell mainly to the jobbing trade. 



CHAPTER XV. 

IN the year 1875, Mr. vS. Sawyer of Fitchburg, Mass., con- 
cluded to start a watch factory in the town in which he 
resided. His idea was to build the necessary machinery, 
make a model movement and when everything was ready, 
to interest capital and organize a watch company. Accor- 
dingly he entered into negotiations with Mr. H. J. Lowe, 
who had previously been a superintendent in the United 
States watch factory, and after renting a suitable building 
the manufacture of the necessary machinery was com- 
menced. Several gentlemen, who were formerly connected 
with the United States Watch Company, were engaged to 
see to the building of the machinery, among them being 
Messrs. Thos. Parker, A. R. Bardeen, Chas. Whitehouse 
and Gilbert Crowell. Mr. Crowell was made superinten- 
dent and the work went on at a very lively rate. 

At the end of three years the machinery was well under 
way and Mr. Sawyer went in search of capitalists who 
were willing to invest their money in a watch factory. 
Previous to this time Mr. Lowe severed his connection with 
the concern owing to his ill-health. Mr. Sawyer's search 
was not rewarded with success and his own money having 
given out he decided to cease operations until moneyed par- 
ties could be fotmd. Work was accordiiigly stopped, the 
employes discharged and the factory was closed up. Sub- 
sequently Mr. Crowell retui'ned to Fitchburg and was 
associated with Mr. Sawyer in the Sawyer Watch Tool 
Co. Part of the old machinery was used in their business 

(91) 



92 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

and the balance was sold to Cornell and other watch com- 
panies. At the time of closing the factory, the necessary 
machinery for an output of twenty-five movements 
per day was finished. The machinery cost Mr. Sawyer 
$45,000 exclusive of rent and taxes and he realized very 
little of this amount from the sales. 



CHAPTER XVL 

IN 1876, J. R. Hopkins, together with W. A. Wales, 
visited Auburndale, Mass., with a view to interesting W. 
B. Fowle, a capitalist of that place, in a watch factory 
project. The movement which they proposed to manufac- 
ture was known as the " rotary," and was invented by Mr. 
Hopkins. It was somewhat similar in construction to the 
Waterbury and like it, it made a complete revolution once 
every hour. It w^as an i8-size, anchor escapement, and was 
stem wind and set. Mr. Fowle, after an investigation, con- 
cluded there was money in the project and soon after made 
arrangements for the erection of a factory. Negotiations 
were entered into with Geo. E. Hart, of Newark, N. J., 
for the manufactui'e of the machinery. This machinery 
required considerable overhauling and remodeling, never- 
theless, the first movements were finished in the fall of 1877 
and were immediately placed upon the market. They 
were cased in open faced nickel cases and sold at ten dol- 
lars each to the trade. Very soon complaints began to 
come to the manufacturers that these movements were 
defective and the greater majority of them were taken back 
b}'' the firm. In all, about one thousand movenients were 
made and the greater majority of them found their way 
into the waste heap. The Auburndale Rotary was not a 
success, but the management were not discouraged and im- 
mediately began work on a new movement invented by 
Mr. Hopkins, and known as the Auburndale Timer. They 
were i8-size, i^, 5^ and i-io seconds. The " Timer" was 

(93) 



94 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



improved by A. Craig, J. H.Gerry and W. A. Wales. Mr. 
Craig, ^vho was master mechanic, invented the stop and 
starting arrangement and Mr. Gerry invented tlie escape- 
ment. At this time the management of the factory was as 
follows: 

W. E.Rae, the first superintendent, died very suddenly of 
heart disease and his position was filled by Wm. Geust, 
who was in turn succeeded by J. H. Gerry, who was suc- 
ceeded in 1S78 by G. H. Bourne, who was succeeded by E. 
H. Perry, who was succeeded by J. Hinds, who was suc- 
ceeded by O. L. Strout. 
B. F. Gerry was fore- 
man escapement mak- 
ing; Thomas Steele, 
foreman train room ; 
Fredk. H. Eaves, fore- 
man motion and jewel- 
ing rooms; John Rowe, 
foreman flat steel ; A. 
Craig, master mechanic; 
W. Simmons, plate, and 
O. L. Strout, spi'inging 
and finishing room. The the auburndale rotary. 

general management of the business was in the hands of 
Messrs. Wales and Fowle. 

In 1878 Chauncey Hartwell, under the direction of the 
management, made a model of an 18 -size, three-quarter 
plate movement, and work was immediately commenced on 
these watches. Mr. Hartwell was a practical watchmaker 
having had many years experience in the Waltham factory. 
The first of these movements made their appearance in the 
summer of 1879, the " Bently " was a stem-wind and the 
" Lincoln " a key-wind, and both were gilt movements. 
About three hundred of these movements were manufac- 




PAST AND PRESENT. 95 

tured when the idea was abandoned, as the movements 
could not be sold at a price that would realize any profit 
for the manufacturers. The manufacture of these move- 
ments was started at a very dull time, when all watches 
were a drug on the market, and the company tried to make 
a three-quarter plate to compete in price with the cheap 
full plate, that the others companies were then making. 
At the time they were the only cheap three-quarter plate 
movements on the market and were very well made, con- 
sidering the very poor facilities they then had for making 
them. Pi'obably in the history of modern watch-making, 
no company had so iiiay difficulties to overcome and 
showed such good results from their labors. 

In 1S79 a, stock company was formed of which Mr. 
Fowle was made President and G. H. Bourne, Secretary 
and Treasurer. After abandoning the " Bentley" and 
" Lincoln " movements the company turned their attention 
to the manufacture of dial thermometers and horse-timers. 
They continued in this business until i8Si, when they 
abandoned the timers and devoted their entire attention 
to thermometers. 

The " Timer " was, as far as the manufacture was con- 
cerned, a success, but a want of business push and enter- 
prize on the part of the management was lacking and con- 
sequently, although the goods were acknowledged to be of 
a fair quality, yet sales were very slow. 

The company failed in the fall of 18S3, and early in the 
following year the machinery was sold. Those who are in 
a position to judge are confident that the original Auburn- 
dale Rotary would have been a success had the proper 
machinery been made for its manufacture and a few 
changes made in its construction. It was a simple move- 
ment and was therefore inexpensive to manufacture. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE Hampden Watch Company was organized in Jan- 
uary, 1877, virtually succeeding the New York Watch 
Manufacturing Compan}- as described in Chapter X. 
Homer Foote was the first President, and Chas. D. Rood, 
Treasurer and Business Manager. The first Board of Direc- 
tors was composed of Homer Foote, Jas. D. Baur, A. Bree- 
ver and Aaron Bragg. H. 
J. Cain was made superin- 
tendent and still occupies 
that position. The old 
movement of the New 
York Company was re- 
modeled, and the factorv 
opened in the summer of 
1S77. In 1881 a new brick 
building was erected, 40 x 
100 feet, and three stories 
and basement. Five build- 
ings were then used by the company, the main one being 
30x120 feet, brick, three stories and basement, and has 
a central tovv^er. The other buildings are respectively 
33 X 50, 40 X 100, 45 X 90 and 40 x 80. The company turn 
out fourteen grades of movements, which are all full-plate, 
with the exception of the " State Street," which is i6-size, 
three- quaiter plate and gilded steel. The power is furn- 
ished by a ninety-horse power engine, situated in a building 
back of the main structure. The capacity of the factory is 
400 movements per dav, and 400 hands are emplo}'ed, 

(97) 




THE PERRY MOVEMENT. 



98 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



In 1886 Mr. John C. Dueber, of watch case fame, pur- 
chased a controlling interest in the Hampden Company. 
As the company had been behind in their orders and the 
movement had a good reputation, Mr. Dueber thought it 
would be wise to enlarge the works and make the output at 
least five hundred movements per day. With this object 
in view he visited several tracts of land in Springfield, but 
found that the only suitable land in that place, then on the 




THE HAMPDEN WATCH FACTORY, AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

market, was held at such exorbitant figures that it was use- 
less to spend further time there. Wishing to extend his 
case works at Newport, Ky., he thought it would be advis- 
able to secure a desirable location and build new factories 
for both concerns in the same neighborhood, thus making 
the largest and most magnificent watch establishment in 
the world. Accordingly Mr. Dueber advertised for a loca- 
tion, and finally settled on Canton, Ohio, as the most appro- 
priate place. The people of Canton donated $100,000 and 



lOO THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

twenty acres of land for the factories. The site is at the 
western edge of the city, on a bkiff with a commanding 
view. The ilhistration, made from the architect's phms, 
gives a fair idea of how the Hampden factory looks. 
The building for the Dueber factory is very similar in con- 
struction. The buildings are all three stories high, with 
pressed brick and cut stone fronts, and from right to left, 
occupy a frontage of 1,140 feet. In the rear of each build- 
ing is a smaller line of buildings, not shown in the illustra- 
tion. The engine and boiler rooms are also situated back 
of each building. The buildings were ready for occu- 
pancy in the spring of 188S, when the machinery was 
moved from Springfield. 

Chas. D. Rood is President, Treasurer and Business Man- 
ager, and Henry J. Cain, Superintendent. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE Waterbury Watch was invented to fill a demand 
for a cheap watch. The Waltham, Elgin and other 
companies manufactured watches that were within the reach 
of people of moderate means, but there still existed a wide 
field which was unoccupied until the Waterbviry Watch 
made its appearance. There were still millions of people 
who could not afford to purchase a watch even at the low 
price at which the Waltham, Elgin, et. al. were selling. 
Some of the manufacturers of the Naugatuck Valley, 
appreciating this fact, undertook to fill this want, and their 
endeavors were crowned with success. The first thing 
required was a man who could make a model watch, that 
would possess fair qualifications as a time-keeper, and yet 
have a less number of j^arts than any watch then on the 
market. It was absolutely essential that it should possess a 
less number of parts than those then on the market, in order 
to cheapen its manufacture, so that the complete watch, case 
and all might be retailed at $3.50. The making of the 
model was intrusted to Mr. D. A. Buck, at that time a 
watchmaker of Worcester, Mass. Mr. Buck was of a 
mechanical turn of mind. At the Centennial Exhibition,, 
in 1S76, there was shown the largest steam engine in the 
world, and close to it was working its brother, the smallest. 
The small engine was designed and built by Mr. Buck, and 
in its construction he vised only such tools as are usually 
found on a watch repairer's bench. This machine consisted 
of a boiler, an engine, with cylinder, governor, valves and 

(lOl) 



I02 



THK WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



all the details of its monster brother, worked to a charm, 
and was yet so small that it could be completely covered 
with an ordinary thivnble. Mr. Buck's first experiment on 
the model proved a failure, but after a 
few months' work he produced a working 
model which was pronounced satisfactory. 
This model was shown to Mr. Charles 
Benedict, of the Benedict & Burnham 
Manufacturing Co., of Waterbury, Conn., 
who after testing it in various ways pro- 
nounced it satisfactory, and made arrange- 
ments for starting the work of manu- 
facture in his establishment. It was 
supposed that 
with the tools 
owned by the 
Benedict & 
Burnham Co., 
together ^vith 
special tools to 
b e manufac- 
tured, that the 
work could be 
comnienced in about six 
months. This was in January, 
1878, but it was not until 
December, 1879, that every- 
thing was ready for the start. 
The rooms set apart in the 
factory soon proved too small, 
and a special building was erected for the purpose. A stock 
company was incorporated under the style of "The Water- 
bury Watch Company," and Mr. Benedict was elected as 
the first President. The movement was patented, and the 



END VIEW. 




SPRING UNWOUND. 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



lO: 



patents became the property of the company. The ne^v 
factory was designed by Mr. H. W. Hartwell, of Boston, 
the architect of the Waltham and Elgin companies' fac- 
tories. When the building was finished and furnished it 
was found that nearly half a million of dollars had been 
expended. 

The first few thousand movements were placed in colored 

celluloid cases, but 
these were soon aban- 
doned for a nickel- 
silver case. The first 
watches had open dials 
through which the 
working parts could be 
seen, but this was soon 
changed for a full dial 
and solid plates. The 
Waterbury Watch is 
novel in construction, 
and it is this novelty 
that admits of its being 
made and sold at a 
very low price. It is 
a stem winder, and 
takes a long time to 
wind owing to the 
extreme length of the 
spring, which in fact nearly fills the entire back of the 
case. The spring is wound upon a brass plate having a 
geared edge, and upon the stem is a smaller gear fitting 
into the larger, so that in winding the entire plate bearing 
the spring is made to revolve. This, however, is an old 
feature, but the novelty consists in the works themselves 
which are free to revolve upon the central axis, making an 
entire revolution every hour. 

7 




SPRING WOUND-UP. 



Io6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

It must be admitted, even by the most prejudiced, that 
the Waterbury is simplicity itself. The minute hand turns 
with the movement, and the hour hand is made to revolve 
by a train of three wheels, a hair spring and balance, and 
the movement is complete. Taking every part — screws, 
case, pinions, wheels, springs, in fact everything — and you 
have only fifty-eight parts in all. There are no jewels, the 
iTianufacturers claiming that the beai'ings being constantly 
changed by its peculiar motion, jewels are unnecessary. 




THE WATERBURY FACTORY. 



The factory, which is located at Waterbury, Conn., is a 
brick building and consists of three parts; a square central 
building four stories high, a long wing in the rear three 
stories high, and a smaller wing one story high. The spring 
department and pattern shop are located in the basement of 
the central building; the officers of the company occupy 
the first floor; the material room, designing room and rooms 
of the mechanical superintendent and draughtsman occupy 
the second floor; the finishing room occupies the fourth 
floor. The machine shop is located on the first floor of the 
wing, the case department on the second and train room on 



PAST AND PRESENT. IO7 

the third floor. This company gives employment to three 
hundred people and turns out fifteen hundred watches per 
day. 

The present officers are: Charles Dickinson, President 
and Treasurer; Edward A. Locke, Secretary; George 
Merritt, Gen. Agent. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE Independent Watch company of Fredonia, N. Y. 
was organized in April 1880, by E. D. and C. M. 
Howard. The Howard Bros., for some years previous to 
this date, sold large numbers of watches on the install- 
ment plan. These watches, which were engraved "Inde- 
pendent Watch Co.," were manufactured for them by 
several American companies. The Howards decided, that 
as they used large numbers of watches, it would be policy 
to start a factory of their own. 

The capital stock of the company was $150,000. E. 
D. Howard was elected President, E. S. Gates, Vice Pres- 
ident and O. R. Burchard, Secretary and Treasurer. C. 
M. Howard was made business manager. The Board of 
Directors consisted of E. D. and C. M. Howard, W. H. 
Smith, O. R. Burchard, D. R. Barker and E. S. Gates. A 
building owned by the Howard Bros., was remodeled to serve 
as a factory. The machinery used inthe factx)Ty, wasfor the 
most part a miscellaneous collection which had been pur- 
chased by the Howard Bros., from the assignees of several 
defunct companies. Portions of this machinery came from 
the old Cornell factory at Grand Crossing, 111., while other 
portions came from the old United States factory at Mar- 
ion, N. J. Considerable unfinished material had also been 
purchased by the Howard Bros., from the assignee of the 
United States Watch Company. This material, together 
with the machinery was sold to the new company, the 
Howard Bros., taking stock for it, in the new company. 

(109) 



no THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

Chas, S. Moseley was engaged as Superintendent, Jas. 
Dangerfield as foreman of the screw, plate and flat steel de- 
jDartments, John Baxter, foreman of escapement making. 
G. D. Parsons, foreman of jeweling and motion, and Thos. 
Perkins, foreman of finishing. The company first devoted 
their attention to the finishing up of the old United States 
movements. These movements however did not sell 
readily to the trade, and in 1SS3 a new^ iS-size model was 
made. 

The company had sometime previous to this abandoned 
the idea of selling the movements at retail, and were confin- 
ing their sales exclusivel}" to the trade. Mr. Moseley was 
succeeded in Oct., iSSi, by Jas. Dangerfield, under whose 
superintendency the new movements were gotten out, 
making their appearance in the summer of 1883. 

A prejudice in the trade, existed against the watch, owing 
to the former methods adopted by the Howard Bros., in 
disposing of their watches, and this prejudice was so strong 
that it was found almost next to an impossibility to sell 
them. 

In the fall of 18S3, C. M. Howard went to Chicago to 
meet J. C. Adams and induce him, if possible, to associate 
himself vsath the company. After considering several pro- 
positions made by Mr. Howard, Mr. Adams finally went to 
Fredonia and examined the machinery, stock of move- 
ments, etc. He found that the company had on hand about 
eight thousand finished movements, and about two thousand 
more in a partially finished condition. The movements 
were anything but satisfactory, as the escapements were faulty 
and the general finish poor. Mr. Adams advised the com- 
pany to finish up what movements they had in process of 
construction, sell them at any price they could get for them 
and close the factor}^ temporarily in order to overhaul the 
machinery which was in a miserable condition. He also 



PAST AND PRESENT. Ill 

advised them to re-organize the company vuider a new 
name and expend several thousand dollars in nev^ ma- 
chiney, w^hich was badly needed. This the company 
decided to do and accordingly they re-organized under the 
title of the Fredonia Watch Company, with a capital of 
$ 1 50,000. 

Mr. Adams then made arrangements with the company 
to go on the road and in a few months he disposed of all of 
the old movements at a general average of six dollars each, 
which was considered a very good price for them. 

During the year 1S84, the machinery was thoroughly 
overhauled and some new and improved machinery and 
tools added. The factory was then started up again. Still 
the movements did not sell as well as they might and dur- 
ing the summer of 1S85 the advisability of moving the fac- 
tory to some other city, w^here capital could be interested, 
was thoroughly discussed. 

Accordingly Mr. Adams was authorized to look up a 
new location and interest capital and organize a new com- 
pany. He visited Peoria, 111., and finally succeeded in open- 
ing negotiations which resulted in the sale of the machinery 
to a new company know^n as the Peoria Watch Com- 
pany. 



CHAPTER XX. 

IN the fall of 1S79, E. F. Bowman, then a retail jeweler, 
but now of the jobbing firm of Bowman & Musser, Lan- 
caster, Pa., ordered a small outfit of watchmaking machin- 
ery from Geo. E. Hart, of Newark, N.J. This machinery 
he set up on the floor over his jewelry store, where he pro- 
posed to manufacture watches in a small way. In January, 
1880, he engaged the services of W. H Todd, who had 
formerly been superintend- 
ent of the Lancaster Watch 
Company, and had been 
succeeded by C. S. Moseley. 
Mr. Todd immediately pro- 
ceeded to make a model 
watch. This being com- 
pleted he busied himself in 
making some necessary small 
tools and then proceeded 
with the making of the 
watches. There were but the bowman watch. 

five workmen in all, but they accomplished a great deal 
in a small space of time, for in 18S2 some thirty complete 
watches were ready, while others were nearly finished. 

The entire movement, with the exception of the balance 
and dial was made in the factory. These movements were 
all i6-size, nickel, stem wind, full jeweled, three-quarter 
plate, and were very handsome and well finished. The 
movements being manufactured on so small a scale were 

(113) 




114 TUE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

necessarily very expensive to produce and but little margin 
was left after selling, for the manufacturer. In the mean- 
time Mr. Bow^man had embarked in the wholesale jewelry 
trade and this business becoming pressing and occupying 
the greater part of his time, he decided that it would be 
policy to sell the watch plant if he could find a purchaser. 

This ^vas in the spring of 18S2, and in the follo^ving 
summer a sale was effected to J. P. Stevens, of Atlanta, Ga. 
Mr. Stevens had for some time prior to this date been 
purchasing partially finished movements from the Hamp- 
den Watch Company and having his own workmen finish 
them, fitting a regulator of his own device and several other 
improvements. 

After the purchase of this machinery Mr. Stevens organ- 
ized a company known as the J. P. Stevens Watch Com- 
pany, with a capital of $100,000. J. P. Stevens was elected 
President, and L. O. Stevens, Secretary. A new building 
was erected and additional machinery added to the plant. 
W. H. Todd was engaged as Superintendent and he made 
the model for the new w^atch, which closely resembled the 
Bowman movement. In the spring of 1SS4, C. Li. Hoyt 
was made Superintenbent and Mr. Todd took charge of the 
train and plate department, C. H. Bagley, foreman escape- 
ment and jeweling, and T. W. Thompson, foreman of fin- 
ishing. 

Everything appeared to be going along smoothly, the 
factory turning out about ten movements per day, when in 
the fall of 1S85, J. C. Freeman, the largest stockholder iia 
the company died. After his death his heirs became invol- 
ved in law suits and things assumed such a disagree- 
able phase that the Stevens brothers sold out their interest 
in the factory to the Freeman heirs. The new company 
was known as D. N. Freeman & Co. This company failed 
early in 1887 and the watch machinery was disposed of. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE Columbus Watch Company was organized Nov. 
i8, 18S2, with a capital of $150,000, which was subse- 
quently increased to $200,000. This company succeeded 
the firm of Gruen & Savage, who made a business of 
importing partially made Swiss movements and finishing 
them in Columbus. Messrs. Gruen & Savage occupied a 
two story brick factory built 
by them in 1879, which was 
purchased by the new com 
pany and a new buildmg 
35X 95 feet was built on and 
connected by a passage-wa} 
with engine house in the real 
as shown in the engraving 
About the first step that the 
new company took was the 
making of tools and ma 
chinery for the manufacture 
of the watch complete. The 
tools and models for the first movements were completed 
in about nine months from the time of the organization 
of the company, being the quickest time on record. The 
company manufacture four sizes of movements, sixteen, 
eighteen, four and six sizes. They make both key and 
stem wind movements. The officers of the company are: 
D. Gruen, President and General Manager, and W. J. 
Savage, Secretary and Treasurer ; Walter W. Owens, 

(115) 




THE COLUMBUS WATCH. 



Il6 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

Supt. Three hundred hands are employed, and the output 
is about one hundred and fifty finished movements per day. 

The various departments of the factory are presided over 
as follovs^s: The escapement, screw and flat steel, John 
Walsh; pinion roughing and pinion cutting, W. C. Her- 
man; pinion finishing, Wm. Keene; balance, W. Clarke; 
jeweling and motion, F. Bergmann; stem wind, Wm. Sauer; 
dial, W. Sherwood; adjusting, H. Ziplinski; finishing, H. 
Devitt. 

The main offices of the Company are located at Colum- 
bus, Ohio, and 43 Maiden Lane, New York. The goods 
manufactured by this company bear an excellent reputation 
as time-keepers and sell readily. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



IN June, 1883, the Aurora Watch Company, of Aurora, 
111., was incorporated, with a capital stock of $250,000 in 
shares of $100 each. The projectors of the company had 
in view an idea which had been advanced on several occa- 
sions, but had never come to a successful issue, /. e., a strictly 
trade watch company, or in other words, a company whose 
products should be controlled by the retail trade, doing away 
with the middle-man or 
jobber. The capital stock 
of this company is largely 
owned and controlled by 
retail dealers, who handle 
the product. One dealer 
only in each town is allowed 
the privilege of selling 
their goods, preference 
being given to the dealers 
who are stockholders. 

The incorporators were 
E. W. Trask, A. Somarin- 
dyck, F. L. Pond, H. H. Evans, D. F. Van Liew,H. Miller, 
and A.J. Hopkins. The first officers were E. W. Trask, 
President; Albert H. Pike, Vice-President; Maurice Wen- 
dell, Treasurer and Business Manager; Geo. F. Johnson, 
Superintendent. The first directors were M. Huffman, E. 
W. Trask, A. H. Pike, Maurice Wendell, and Geo. F. John- 
son. In March, 1SS5, Maurice Wendell was succeeded as 

(119) 




THE AURORA WATCH. 



PAST AND PRESENT. I2I 

Treasurer and Manager by A. Somarindyck, and shortly 
after Mr. Trask resigned as President, and was succeeded 
by Mr. A. Somarindyck. In December, 1885, G. F.John- 
son was succeeded as superintendent by J. W. Hurd, who 
was succeeded by Robert Mcintosh, who held the position 
till March i, 1887, when Geo. F.Johnson, who planned and 
built the factory and its machinery, was reinstated as Super- 
intendent and now holds that important position. 

The illustration of the factory here given is from the 
architect's plans, the building at present not being complete. 
The one wing now occupied covers 135x35 feet, and is 
three stories and basement. The machinery building is 35 
X 95 feet, with wing for boiler and engine room 25 x 40 feet. 
Some 200 hands are employed, and the capacity is 100 
movements per day. The Aurora watches, which have 
good reputations as time-keepers, are made in vai"ious grades, 
and fit Elgin-style cases. They are full-plate, iS-size, nickel 
and gilt, with quick train. 

The present officers of the company are A. Somarindyck, 
President; M. Huffman, Vice-President; J. H. Weber, 
Manager; N. Somarindyck, Treasurer; T. H. Day, Secre- 
tary, and Geo. F. Johnson, Supeiuntendent. 

The foremen of the various departments are as follows: 
Pinion finishing, Clarence Coonradt; pinion roughing, 
Henry Ulreci; jeweling, J. W.Morse; escapement, George 
Allspach; balance and screw, Robt. Shepard; damaskeen- 
ing, E. D. Hanchett; gilding, Jno. Fairchild; finishing, C. 
H. Connor; plate, Eugene Spalding; machine shop, A. H. 
Clavois. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE New Haven Watch Company was incorporated 
October,' 13, 18S3, with a capital of $100,000. W. E. 
Doolittle, who is the patentee of a movement was the organ- 
izer of the company. New Haven, Conn., was decided on 
as a site and work was at once commenced on the machin- 
ery. A two story brick building, formerly occupied as a 
machine shop,v\^as rented January i, 1884, and the machinery 
was moved into it. It was at first intended to manufacture 
the Doolittle watch, but the plan was abandoned and a reg- 
ular lever watch substituted in its stead. 

The first board of Directors consisted of Aaron Carter, 
Lewis J. Mulford, Gerritt S. Glenn, W. E. Doolittle, and 
J. H. Brewer. The first officers were: Aaron Carter, Pres- 
ident; Lewis J. Mulford, Vice-President and Treasurer, and 
Gerritt S. Glenn, Secretary. In the fall of 1885, (the cap- 
ital of the company being nearly exhausted), it became 
necessary to increase the working capital, and accordingly 
Mr. Brewer paid a visit to Trenton with the intention of 
interesting capitalists. His efforts were successful, as the 
Trenton people agreed to furnish the necessary capital 
should the factory be moved to their city. About three 
acres of land were purchased in Chambersburg, a suburb, 
and the erection of a factory immediately commenced. 
The capital was then increased to $250,000, the name 
changed to The Trenton Watch Company, and a new 
Board of Directors consisting of J. H. Brewer, W. F. Van 
Camp, T. W. Burger, Saml. K. Wilson, J. L. Murphy, 

(123) 




Illltl 




il 

nli*Si 


i'ill 


"A 




IIIIIIP'- i 


1.,,:; 





PAST AND PRESENT. 



125 



Lawrence Farrell and W. S. Stryker was elected. J. H. 
Brewer was elected President; W. F. Van Camp, Treasurer, 
and J. C. Thomas, Secretary. The people of Trenton 
subscribed $50,000 to the enterprise. 

S. T. J. Byam, for many years with the American Wal- 
tham Watch Company and later with the Waterbury 
Watch Company was made Superintendent, a position 
which he still holds. F. W. Keegan, formerly with the 
Marion, Cheshire, and Waterbury companies, has charge 
of the finishing department. P. W. Brady, who was for 
twenty-five years connected with the American Waltham 

Watch Company, has charge 
of the train room. Charles 
Taylor, formerly with the 
American Waltham an d 
Waterbviry companies, has 
chai'ge of the escapement 
room. A. E. Wait, formerly 
of Waltham, has charge of 
the machine shop, and E. A. 
Hitchcock has charge of the 
case making. 

THE TRENTON MOVEMENT. rr-ll £ i. 1'1'UMj- 

1 he factory, waiich is built 
of pressed brick, is one of the most complete in all its details. 
The finishing is all done in hard pine and the light is 
splendid, each workman having a window to himself. It 
is a three story and basement building, 50 x 55 feet, with a 
wing 34 X 120 feet. 

The Trenton Watch is straight-line lever escapement, 
with second hand, i8-size, jeweled, stem wind and set, and 
quick train. The company make all their own cases which 
are known as " silverine." About 200 employees are now 
at work and the output is at present about 180 per day. 




136 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

The full capacity of the factory is 500 finished watches 
per clay with 350 hands. The present capital of the com- 
pany is $300,000. For the first three years the company 
sold their movements direct to the retail trade but later on 
their product was handled by jobbers. The main office is 
situated at Trenton, N. J., and Francis E. Morse & Co., 
Chicago, are the sole western agents. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

CHARLES S. MosELEY, whose name has been in- 
timately connected witli the history of nearly every 
watch factory in this comitry, was born in Westfield, Mass., 
Feb. 28, 1828. In 1836 he accompanied his father to 
Princeton, 111,, but soon returned to Massachusetts. At the 
age of eighteen he entered a machine shop in Westfield, 
and some time afterwards went to Boston where he worked 
for George H. Fox, as a machinist, and remained there for 
some years. His first connection with the watch factories 
was in 1852, when he entered the employ of Dennison, 
Howard & Davis, who were then beginning the manu- 
factvu'e of watches in Roxbury, Mass. Mr. Moseley went 
with them when the factory was removed to Waltham, and 
remained with the company, serving in the capacity of fore- 
man of the machine shop and later as master mechanic. 

About the year 1S59 the Nashua Watch Company was 
started, and Mr. Moseley cast his lot with it, acting as 
master mechanic. He designed and built the machinery 
with which that movement was manufactured; and it is 
worthy of remark, that no better watch has ever been 
made since in this countr}-. 

In the fall of 1S64 Mr. Moseley identified himself with 
the Elgin National Watch Company, then just starting, 
and was made general superintendent, in which capacity 
he remained with the company till 1877. 

Mr. Moseley has assisted, when they were in need of en- 
gineering help, a mmiber of other factories. As a 

(127) 



128 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

mechanical engineer and a designer of watch machinery 
especially, he has had no superiors and but few equals. 
Many well known inventions are due to his genius. 
Among those that have acquired a world wide reputation, 
we may mention the interchangeable stem wind mechanism 
of the Elgin National Watch Company, patented in 1876. 
The dust band, or dust excluder, used by the same 
company, the best and cheapest ever made. The 
triangular hair spring stud. A patent regulator, 
and many others. One of his earliest inventions in 
connection with the manufacture of watches is the 
spring or split chuck, an accessory now become unI^'ersal 
and indispensible to every watch maker in the land. 

At this writing, although somewhat advanced in years, 
Mr. Moseley is still actively engaged in mechanical en- 
gineering of an advanced natm-e, the full history and value 
of which must be reserved for future historians to 
chronicle. 

P. S. Bartlett, whose name is familiar to every watch- 
maker and jeweler in America, and we might say the 
world, was born in Amesbury, Mass., September 3, 1834. 
His first connection with watch making, was in 1854 when 
he went to work for the Boston Watch Company, just 
after its removal to Waltham, Mass., where he occupied 
the position of foreman of the plate and screw department. 
In 1859 the American Watch Companv put upon the mar- 
ket a new 18-size movement which they engraved "P. S. 
Bai'tlett" in honor of the subject of this sketch. In 1S61 
the same company manufactured their first ladies' watch 
which they also designated as the "P. S. Bartlett," having 
abandoned the 18-size made in 1859. 

In 1864 he visited Chicago, and together with Messrs. 
Chas. S. Moseley, J. C. Adams, and Ira G. Blake, organ- 




CHARLES S. MOSELEY. 



PAST AND PRESENT. I3I 

ized the National Watch Company, of Chicago, afterwards 
known as the Elgin National Watch Company. He sub- 
sequently signed a contract with that company for five 
years as foreman of the plate and screw departments. He 
was for seven years assistant superintendent and general 
traveling agent for the company, during which time he in- 
troduced the Elgin Watches in Europe, selling them in 
Moscow^, St. Petersburg and other cities. He is now in 
the wholesale and retail watch and jewelry business in 
Elgin. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE Cheshire Watch Company was incorporated in 
October, 1883, with a capital of $100,000. The com- 
pany was organized by Messrs. A. E. Hotchkiss and Geo. 
J. Capewell, of Cheshire, Conn., who interested capitalists 
in the scheme. The first officers were Geo. J. Capewell, 
President, and E. R. Brown, Secretary and Treasurer. The 




THE FACTORY OF THE CHESHIRE WATCH COMPANY, CHESHIRE, CONN. 

factory is located at Cheshire and is a very handsome build- 
ing 300 feet in length and 30 feet wide. The model for 
the Cheshire was made by Mr. D. A. Buck, the gentleman 
who made the original Watei'bury model. This move- 
ment is so familiar to the trade that a description is unneces- 
sary. In February, 1885, Mr. Brown was succeeded as 

(133) 



134 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



Secretary and Treasurer by Mr. N. Brigham Hall, who 
still occupies that position. Mr. Capewell resigned his 
position as President in July, iSS6, and was succeeded by 
Mr. John Pearce. Mr. Buck retained the position of Sup- 
erintendent until October, 1885. 

The capital stock of the company is at present $250,000, 
and the product 150 watches per day. The factory has a 

capacity of 225 movements 
per day. The main office of 
the company is situated at 
Cheshire, Conn., with a 
branch office at 178 Broad- 
way, New York. The 
present Superintendent is 
Henry Aehl, and the fore- 
men of the various depart- 
ments are as follows: Fore- 
man machine department 
Paul Simon; plate, F. L. 
Wilkinson; gilding, H. Martin; pinion, G. S. Kendrick; 
pinion cutting and finishing, W. S. Welton; jeweling, C. 
Narthrop; motion, F. S. Brockett; stem wind, Joseph 
Jenkins; escapement, C. S. Guernsey; timing, Wm. Davis; 
finishing, Thos. Baker; case-room, W. E. Garde; buff-room, 
Orrin Hitchcock. 




THE CHESHIRE WATCH. 



The Manhattan Watch Company was organized in 
1SS3 with a capital of $100,000. The company was 
organized mainly through the efforts of A. O. Jennings, 
who was formerly manager of the Jerome Clock Com- 
pany. The factory of the company is located at 15S 
Monroe Street, New York City, and the offices of the com- 
pany are at 235 Broadway. 



PAST AND PRESENT. I35 

In 1 886 the capital of the company was increased to 
$150,000. The movements which the company manufac- 
ture are all i8-size, both open-face and hunting. They 
munvifacture all their own cases. The company 
are now manufacturing one thousand watches per 
week and employ eighty-five hands. The officers of 
the company are A. O. Jennings, President; T. B. Jen- 
nings, Vice President; P. R.Jennings, Secretary and F. L. 
Park, Treasurer; R. G. Jennings is Superintendent. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



HERMAN Von Der Heydt, a native of Weisbaden, 
Germany, came to this country in 1881. He was a 
thorough machanic, having mastei-ed the trade of watch- 
maker in one of the technical schools for which his country 
is justly famous. He located in Chicago and soon after star- 
ted the manufacture of a self-winding watch. He succeeded 
in his object in 1S83. This movement he patented Feb. 19, 

1S84. In all he has manu- 
factured but thirty-four 
movements, five of which 
were full nickel and the 
balance gilt. This watch, 
which is peculiar in mechan- 
ism, might be termed a 
full-plate. It is i8-size, 
lever escapement and full 
jeweled. The winding 
mechanism is of the gravity 
variety, consisting of a some- 
what heavy steel crescent, 
which by the motion of the body moves up and down and 
is connected to a ratchet on the winding arbor. 

The small number of watches made is accounted for 
by the fact that they were all hand made, the inventor 
having only at his disposal an American lathe, a heavy 
lathe with universal head and the usual outfit of watch re- 
pairer's tools. Even then he manufactured the watches 

(137) 




THE SELF-WINDING WATCH. 



138 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



piece-meal taking only such time as he could spare from his 
regular business as jeweler and watch repairer. The 
watches were all sold as fast as manufactured, the gilt move- 
ments bringing $75 and the nickel ones $90 each. Mr. 
Von der Heydt has had several flattering offers made him 
by watch companies and wealthy jewelers but has always 
declined, prefeiring to manufacture the movements himself 
without aid at such times as he could get to work on them. 
They are finely finished and keep excellent time. 



The United States Watch Company, of Waltham, 
Mass., was incorporated in July, 1S84, with a capital of 
$50,000. The stockholders of the company were Chas. 
V. Woerd, who had been connected with the American 
Walthan Watch Company for twenty-five years, E. C. 
Hammer, T. B. Eaton and Nutting Bros., of Waltham. 

The Nutting Bros, and Mr. 
Woerd were associated in 
business under the name of 
the Waltham Watch Tool 
Company. The officers of 
the company are T. B. 
Eaton, President, and E. C. 
Hammer, Treasurer. The 
company purchased a tract 
of land and built a small 
factory, into which the 
tools, manufactured previously by the Waltham Watch 
Tool Company, were moved. 

Mr. Woerd made a model for a i6-size, three-quarter 
plate watch, having a dome in the centre, in order 
to accommodate the center wheel, as the barrel was so wide 
that no room was left for it. This watch was a stem-wind. 




THE UNITED STATES WATCH. 



PAST AND PRESENTi I39 

the mechanism of which was patented by Mr. Woerd. 
Some tliree thousand of these movements had been made, 
up to the fall of 1887, but they had met with a poor 
sale, as the movement required a special case. 

In November, 1SS7, •^^'' Woerd severed his connection 
with the company. The capital stock of the company was 
increased to $150,000 and work commenced on a new 
inodel "which was a 16-size, three-quarter plate, quick train, 
with lever escapement, and expansion balance. Like the 
first it was stem wind, using the same machinism, but the 
wide barrel was done away with, thus rendering the dome 
for center wheel unnecessary. As these watches are not 
yet on the market it is impossible to say how they will be 
received by the trade. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

IN the summer of 18S5, J. C. Adams visited Peoria, 111., 
to interest the capitalists of that city in a watch factor}- 
enterprize, as described in Chapter XIX. As a result of 
his arguments Messrs. E. F. Baldwin, Albert Truesdale, J. 
C. Woelfle, J. L. Flinn, Eustis H. Smith and Fredk. 
Eynatten, all citizens of Peoria, went to Fredonia in the 
fall of 1885 and inspected the factory. Negotiations were 
entered into, which resulted in the sale of the factory to the 
Peoria Watch Company, which was incorporated Dec, 19, 
18S5, with a capital of $250,000. $150,000 in money, notes 
and stock was paid for the Fredonia plant. A building 
was started in Peoria in March 18S6, and completed in the 
following June, when the Fredonia machinery was moved 
into it. 

The old Fredonia model was altered over to meet the re- 
quirements of a quick-train, railroad watch, i8-size and 
fifteen jeweled. Mr. Adams then went on the road and 
made several very heavy contracts for the company with 
western railroads. In the summer of 1887, Mr. Adams had 
sold so many movements that the company was some six 
weeks to two months behind with its orders. Complaints 
began to come in that the movements were being neg- 
lected, that the escapement was faultly and the finish poor. 
The superintendent then in charge, G. P. Benezet sent in 
his resignation and Ferd. F. Ide of Springfield, 111., was 
appointed superintendent. Mr. Adams severed his connec- 
tion with the companv April 14, iSSS. 



142 THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 

The company employs about ninety hands and the pro- 
duct is about thirty movements per day. These movements 
are all nameless and are known as Grade A, No. i special, 
Grade C, Grade D, Grade A. & K., and numbers one to six 
inclusive. They are all i8-size, fifteen jeweled, quick 
train. 




THK FACTORY OF THE PEORIA WATCH COMPANY, AT PEORIA, ILL. 

At present the officers of the company are: Eustis H. 
Smith, President; W. H. Smith, Treasurer; W. W. 
Hammond, Secretary; J. B. Greenhut, Vice Presi- 
dent; and Clarence M. Howard, Manager. The direc- 
tors are W. W. Hammond, E. S. Smith, J. B. 
Greenhut, W. H. Smith, J. C. Woelfle, C. R. 
Wheeler and C. M. Howard. Ferd. F. Ide is superinten- 
dent and the foremen of the various departments are as fol- 
lows: T. M. Younglove, jeweling; W. Earler, damas- 



PAST AND PRESENT. 



143 



keening; D. R. Buchanan, dial; E. F. French, plate room; 
F. A. A. Hordon, gilding; J. Frazier, engraving; J. H. 
Burns, train room; F. S. Wenk, balances; W. H. H. Mur- 
ray, escapement, flat steel and screw; M. Clapp, adjusting 
and J. B. Wormwood, machine shop. 



The Seth Thomas Clock Company started the manufac- 
ture of watches in 18S3. During that year an addition was 
made to their clock factory, and the tools and machinery 
previously made and purchased were moved into it. The 
first watches were placed on the market in 18S5, and were 
18-size, three-quarter plate, 
open face and stem-wind. 
The model for this move- 
ment was made by Herman 
Reinicke, who acted as 
master w^atchmaker for 
the company until the 
spring of 1886 when he 
was succeeded by Chas. 
L. Higginbottom. Under 
Mr. Higginbottom's admin- 
istration a new movement 
was turned out, it being a hunting case movement with 
a different stem-wind mechanism from the original and 
quick train. The company are now turning out one 
hundred movements per day, and employ two hundred 
hands. Four grades of hvmting and open face movements 
are made, and additions will be made to this line as rapidly 
as possible. 




THE SETH THOMAS WATCH. 



The New York Standard Watch Company put its first 
product on the market in the fall of 1887. This move- 



144 



THE WATCH FACTORIES OF AMERICA 



ment, which is an i8-size, full plate, straight line, lever- 
GF^ "T^%s=-. worm, escapement, stem- 

wind and open face, is 
novel in construction. 
The office of the company 
is situated at 83 Nassau 
Street and the factory is 
at Jersey City, N.J. H. 
B. Claflin & Co., New 
THE NEW YORK STANDARD WATCH. York, liavc I'ccently been 

appointed as wholesale selling agents for the company. 




The Wichita Watch Company was organized and in- 
corporated in July 1SS7, with a capital stock of $250,000. 
The officers are J. R. Sniveley, President, H. W. Lewis, 
Treasurer and Irvin Stratton, Secretary. The company 
immediately made preparations for building a factory. The 
building which was finished June ist, 18S8, is a substantial 
structure built of light colored limestone, taken from an 
adjacent quarry. It consists of a central building 44 x 54 
feet with a wing each side 148 x 30 feet. The central 
structure is four stories in height while the wings are three 
stories. The engine house is situated immediately back of 
the central structure. This building has a capacity for 
working six hundred hands and turning out from one hun- 
dred and fifty to two hundred watches per day. On both 
ends of the building are situated tower-like structures which 
are fire escapes. These towers contain winding stair cases, 
built of iron and are accessible from each floor through iron 
doors. The watch which the company proposes to manu- 
facture is an iS-size, half plate, adjusted and full jeweled 
and made to fit any American case. No machinery has yet 
been placed in the factory although the engine is already 
in place and boilers in. It is not definitely known when 
operations will be commenced. 



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